FOR the first time since 2019, top squash talent from around the world will compete at the Bendigo Squash Centre.<\/p>\n
The Bendigo International Open Squash Championship is set to take place from Thursday, 30 June to Sunday, 3 July and features a men\u2019s and women\u2019s 16-person Professional Squash Association draw, and a local graded tournament.<\/p>\n
President of Bendigo Squash Club, Jason Turk, said the tournament attracts some of the top competitors nationally and internationally.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe best players from Australia and some from around the world are coming to play,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe top two seeds in the men\u2019s are both Aussies, Joseph White and Rhys Dowing. Rhys is quite excited because he\u2019s just been selected to play in this year\u2019s Birmingham Commonwealth Games a couple months after the Bendigo event.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the ladies\u2019 event the number one seed is Sarah Cardwell, who\u2019s one of the better women in Australia and there\u2019s a sprinkling of Australia players and international.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s great that people travel from all over the world and some from interstate to play in tournaments like this and it\u2019s a great opportunity for us to show off our club.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bendigo was recently named as the host city for squash the 2026 Commonwealth Games and Mr Turk said it would be great to have a new centre for the event.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe best thing out of the Commonwealth Games should be a new facility, but I\u2019m not sure if we\u2019re getting that our not,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The local centre has limited television coverage capability, and newer facilities are fitted with multiple cameras and video referring technology.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething that\u2019s permanent and would last another 50 years is better than something they drop in and pull apart at the end,\u201d Mr Turk said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe great thing about putting all this money into regional Victoria for the Commonwealth Games should be about building better infrastructure here.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
FOR the first time since 2019, top squash talent from around the world will compete at the Bendigo Squash Centre. The Bendigo International Open Squash Championship is set to take place from Thursday, 30 June to Sunday, 3 July and features a men\u2019s and women\u2019s 16-person Professional Squash Association draw, and a local graded tournament. […]<\/p>\n