Members enthralled as world-ranked squash players descend on East Glos
By Mark Toseland, East Glos Squash Manager
It was great to have WR#4 & England #1, Mohamed ElShorbagy, WR#32 Nathan Lake, WR#249 Will Salter and Jordan Hardwick at East Glos on Sunday 21st May, for a great evening of squash.
Firstly, the juniors got on court with all four pros and got some tips and pointers, playing three-quarter court games. There were many happy faces and inspired youngsters.
Next up was the adults’ turn, with genuine excitement on the court and the members trying their best to get points off these guys; a bit tricky at the best of times, but a few managed it.
This was followed by the sponsors’ challenges. Key club sponsor Nick Griffith opted to take on the mighty Mo for a game to 11. This was a great challenge and experience for Nick and one to be remembered.
Then we come to the exhibitions. Will Salter and Jordan Hardwick, regular training partners at Edgbaston Priory with two different and contrasting playing styles, played a four-game timed match-up. Each game lasted ten minutes, with the total points at the end of the match winning.
Two-point rewards were offered for different shots in each game. Noticeably, a double whammy from Jordan earned him four points with a trick shot inside out underneath taxi. Jordan started the fourth and final game with a three-point lead. However, it wasn’t to be, and Will managed to edge him out and take the win.
The main event saw Mohamed ElShorbagy take on Cheltenham’s own, Nathan Lake, in a five-game thriller, with Mo taking the match 3-2, 11-9 in the fifth. This was a great battle with so much skill and various pace control on show; the audience was in awe of what they were witnessing.
The standard of play was so high the level of striking was something that hadn’t been seen before, alongside the level of precision. It’s hard to comprehend that standard jump from where most club players are at.
Finally, the Q&A was a great addition to finish off the match play. All four players provided great insight from their own backgrounds, which span a varied length across their own careers. With the insights from Mohamed, the juniors were glued to him and what he was saying. There was so much openness with expressions of his personal vulnerabilities that he was prepared to offer to the audience in confidence. We were all hooked on his honesty about what it takes to be world #1 and dominate it.
It was a great night overall, with a good attendance. A big thank you to all those who attended, the players, for making the event what it was. More importantly, a big shout out to Ben Heuzé, Darren Morris and the squash committee for putting the time and effort into arranging such an event. It’s not easy putting these events together with so much work going on in the background to make it happen; thank you all.