Trustco gives a million for squash

IT seems that squash is close to being recognised as a mainstream, professional sport in Namibia.

Trustco managing director Quinton van Rooyen recently revealed a three-year sponsorship deal of N$1 million with the Namibian Squash Association.’It is fantastic to be associated with a sport that involves all levels of society and has been well organised and been doing really well under the guidance of the NSA,’ Van Rooyen said.He added that he hoped that existing sponsors such as Avril Payment Solutions and The Namibian would continue to offer their support to the game in whatever capacity they could.Putting this into context, MTC currently sponsors the entire Namibian football premier league to the tune of N$4,3 million annually, while FNB provides N$1,2 million for the sponsorship for five teams in the NPL. For a ‘minority sport’ a N$1 million investment is an unprecedented amount of money. However, it seems that the emergence of players such as Marco Becker, Isabelle Schnoor and the potential of players such as Andrew Forrest and Angelo Titus to break into the World’s top 250 players is proof that the sport can put its mouth where the money is and walk the walk as well as talk the talk.Gerdus Louwrens , chairman of the NSA, was delighted with the cash injection. ‘For the last 20 years in this country, squash has been kept alive. This investment now means that we can build the game to be self-sufficient for all Namibians to enjoy in the future.’TREMENDOUS SUCCESSHe added that the NSA had recently enjoyed tremendous success in both the senior and junior tours to South Africa and that with the emergence of talented younger players all over the country, Trustco’s involvement would help support Namibian players with increased exposure to international competition.’The success of Namibia in this sport has proved it is worthy of sponsorship of this kind,’ he stated while outlining this initial investment with Trustco as part of an ambitious 15-year plan for the game.When asked about how the sponsorship would help squash overcome its ‘elitist’ reputation, Louwrens said that development plans for bringing the game to the masses could now be put into action. ‘We will be introducing free transportation for people to play in the current major centres of Windhoek, Swakopmund and Walvis Bay. We will be looking to develop the game where there are squash courts, but no playing or coaching infrastructure. Furthermore, we will be looking to build courts in Katutura,’ he said.On the international appeal of the game, he said it is a high-profile Commonwealth Games sport and is one of the four favourites to be added to the Olympic roster when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) votes on new sports in October of this year. He hopes that investments from companies such as Trustco will allow the infrastructure for supporting teams and individuals who in the past have had to turn their backs on Namibia in order to pursue sporting ambitions on the highest stage possible.Louwrens said squash is a game requiring the bare essentials in terms of people and equipment, it does not depend on the weather and is a game of healthy physical and mental demands. ‘Initially, we will bring people to the game, but the long-term plan is to bring the game to the people,’ he said.Understandably, the Trustco announcement rather stole the thunder from the launch of the Wanderers Business league, (now in its fifth year of being sponsored by Trustco).But chairperson Natasha Esterhuizen said that the tournament starting on June 17 has a ‘floaters’ list for anyone not a member of the club who would like to take part in this highly enjoyable yet competitive 16-week squash league.The full list of teams taking part is:Helvetica: Sponsored by Solitaire Press & The Namibian newspaper: Captained by Brian KahengombeWCE: Sponsored by Windhoek Consulting Engineers: Captained by Lindsay KriellTrustco: Sponsored by the Trustco Group International: Captained by Adri LambertInformanté: Sponsored by the Informanté Newspaper: Captained by Louis StanderNetFin Tigers: Sponsored by NetFin Asset Finance: Captained by John RabieRoadsigns: Sponsored by Wimpie Van Zyl: Captained by Gerdus Louwrens.chrisbuckland@rocketmail.com