Herunga records seventh squash title

SUPERB squash was on display at the annual Supertronix Doubles tournament which took place at the Wasra sports complex and the Buccaneers Squash club in Walvis Bay this past weekend.

Nelson Herunga won his record seventh doubles title in Namibian squash with three different partners.The tournament was divided into a women’s, mixed (men and women), and a men’s section. The two-on-two format is a much less physical game as the presence of four players on the court restricts a lot of running. It is however a much more mentally challenging game that requires a lot of concentration with most of the games lasting much longer than the normal squash game. This year’s men’s section comprised a record 16 teams with 32 players fighting for a place in the final. Pre-tournament favourites were defending champions Wynand Breytenbach and Jacques Steenkamp, with Nelson Herunga and Brian Kahengombe also a formidable duo to watch. The mixed section which allows for the combined efforts of male and female players was perhaps the most strategically played section with the deciding factor in the games usually resting mainly on the endurance of the lady. Nelson Herunga and Brian Kahengombe overcame Jaco De Witt and Angelo Titus 3-1 in the semi-finals to set up a repeat of last year’s final against Wynand Breytenbach and Jacques Steenkamp in the men’s section. The women’s section saw Natasja Estherhuizen and Adri Lambert comfortably win all their games to power home as the champs.In the mixed section Walvis Bay resident Lindsay Lottering and his Windhoek-based partner Gabs Muteka took the plate, while women’s champion Adri Lambert combined with Nelson Herunga to win the Mixed Doubles Trophy.In the end it turned out to be a clean sweep for the Windhoekers as the combination of Quinton Van Rooyen and Peya Hitula won the men’s Plate before Nelson Herunga and Brian Kahengombe were crowned champion after Jacques Steenkamp injured his calf muscle and forfeited the match to hand Herunga his seventh Doubles Trophy and a first for Brian Kahengombe.The large turnout of participants at the event made it one of the biggest doubles tournaments of the year.