It’s official, the Shepparton International Open Squash Championships are back.
After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event will return to the Goulburn Valley Squash Club on Thursday, July 7, running until Sunday, July 10.
Squash players from across the world will descend on the region for the event and Goulburn Valley Squash Club president Christian Lecompte said it was good to have it back after some time off.
“We’ve had the event since 2014 and we’ve got a good turn-out this year, 16 men and 16 women playing,” Lecompte said.
Lecompte explained there would be more international competitors than Australians this year, with a combined total of six local men and women competing with players from around the world.
One of these locals will be Rhys Dowling, with the Darwin-born talent aiming to compete later this year in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Another Australian star to look out for will be Sarah Cardwell, while recent Bendigo International PSA winner, Japan’s Akari Midorikawa, will also be competing.
City of Greater Shepparton Mayor Shane Sali was just as excited for the event.
“It has been a challenging couple of years and now with the easing of international travel requirements it will be a great opportunity to allow our home-grown players to mix with national and international-level competitors,” Sali said.
“We welcome all the athletes and their supporters to our region and wish them all the best throughout the competition.”
Sali, like Lecompte, said the event showed Shepparton was perfectly placed to host Commonwealth Games events.
“This partnership continues to strengthen our reputation as the sporting and event capital of regional Australia,” Sali said.
All the action kicks off on Thursday night, with play continuing on Friday evening before semi-finals are held on Saturday and finals on Sunday.
“It’s good for Shepparton to say we can host an international sporting event,” Lecompte said.
“Locals can come down during the day and just have a look at international sports in Shepparton.”