George Bygrave wins Absent Friends Squash Event
By Peter Green
This year’s Absent Friends Handicap Tournament had a good number of top-level players involved. Correction – all the players in the tournament were of the top level.
The tournament was started following the death of squash member Tom Flanagan in April 2009, and remembers Tom and all squash members who are no longer with us.
Some hefty handicaps and a Friday night poor training regime saw the premier players struggle.
Jordan Langdon-Bates though did manage to reach the Plate final. He was part of an hour and a half match against Josh Hughes. Jordan seemed doomed when 2-1 and 14 love down in the fourth but with determination he fought back to take the game, 15 – 14. Josh was not to be outdone though and he took the fifth game with some degree of comfort. Is Josh the fittest thirty-nine and a half year-old in the club?
The main tournament saw the two youngest competitors, George Bygrave and Freya Lane, fight out the final. George on his 16th birthday defeated his father in the first round. Peter naturally explained that the victory was his birthday present. Freya had a choice of going to Aldershot to participate in squad training for England or our competition. And yes, of course she chose the Absent Friends Tournament.The final ebbed and flowed but in the end George overcame Freya 3-1.
Main tournament: Winner George Bygrave. Runner-up Freya Lane
Plate tournament: Winner Josh Hughes.Runner-up Jordan Langdon-Bates
