Squash handicap makes champs, chumps in Swakop

EASTER Saturday saw what is now a regular event on the Swakop squash scene, the Swakopmund squash club handicapped tournament, and the highly irregular event of David Rowett, Clinton Dewing an Ian Rowett, three of the country’s top players, being beaten by players loitering a long way beneath them in the rankings.

Ok, so top players like the Rowett brothers and co were dressed like pirates, or had to play with one leg in the air, or have a shot of Jägermeister before every game, or play with a racket with several strings missing, but, nevertheless they were unable to win the team event, which pits newcomers and social squashers against seasoned pros.
Now in its second year, the event attracted over 30 players, from Top 16 regulars to first-time racket wielders, and included several players from Windhoek who braved the Easter roads from the capital.
With a smile on his face, top 16 Champ Ian Rowett said afterwards that the event was great fun and that ‘the handicap system worked, as the best team came last and the worst team won!’ The winning side consisted of: Esther Meyer, Peter Pahl, Dave Hammond & Sumari Usher and managed to see off the challenge from six other teams in the all-day event at the coast.
The aim of the tournament was to try to raise money towards sponsoring players from the Swakopmund squash club travelling to participate in the South African Country Districts this May.
‘We have a little problem in that we have a team but no transport!’ festival team organiser Andree Steyn said, ‘So anything we can raise here will help us out.’
Co-organiser Ruth Hornickle added that by the close of play about N$3 500 had been collected in donations so far.
The South African Country Districts involves all nine South African provinces as well as teams from neighbouring countries such as Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Swaziland. The Swakopmund squash club is sending one team to play in the festival event and two players, Jacques Steenkamp and Ian Rowett, to play for the Namibian team. The Klein Windhoek and Wanderers squash clubs between them are sending a festival team and will be making up the rest of the Namibian team in the main event.
Windhoek Women’s Closed finalists Isabelle Schnoor and Adri Lambert will be part of the women’s team participating in the main event.
If you are interested in helping sponsor the Namibian teams taking part in the festival and the main event, please contact Andree Steyn at Andree@mintwebsolutions.com

FIXTURES
Namibian Masters: Swakopmund, 25, 26, 27th April
Namibian invitation teams travelling to Bloemfontein to take part in the South African Schools’ invitation competition: April 28-May 4.
South African Country Districts: May 11-15, Paarl, South Africa