International success…the pinnacle of the year was the success of North’s Tesni Evans who had a remarkable season reaching a career high World ranking of 12, became the first ever Welsh winner, male or female of the British Championships, first ever Welsh woman to reach the quarter finals of the British Open and won the bronze medal in the Commonwealth Games ladies singles!
Also a bronze medal in the World Doubles mixed with partner Peter Creed. Tesni is a player who has come right through the Welsh pathway, as has her brother Emyr who reached his first PSA final and reached a career high WR of 128. Lowri Roberts also achieved a career high of 149. Tesni led the Welsh women’s team to a 5th place finish in the Europeans accompanied by teammates Lowri Roberts and Elin Harlow from North Wales. Emyr was in the Men’s team who in the same event finished 6th and stayed up in Division 1 for the first time for 9 years. Also capped as juniors were Layna Beattie / Josh Davies and Jamie Silvester.
PSA Karakal Bangor Classic. Also on the International stage Tesni is promoting the first ever ladies PSA event in Wales this June to promote women’s squash in Wales and the Welsh lady players.
Pathway The pathway continues to be successful from school programmes right up to National squads and International representation.
There has been school activity with visits /festivals in Flintshire through Deeside , Prestatyn, Penygroes / Bangor / Bethesda / Bangor / Caernarfon / Wrexham. A new Goldmine has started in Bangor and planned for Wrexham next.
For the first time Area Performance Centre sessions were held regularly in the North West and North East coached by Steph Roberts and Mark Davies.
Academy days and training nights were held in both Deeside, Bangor and St Asaph and included players from Mid Wales. There was also a fitness trainer.
There have been meetings and partnerships set up with Wrexham /Gwynedd and Denbighshire and the same planned with other local authorities. Gwynedd has chosen squash to be one of their priority sports for next season and will include a regionalised Gwynedd Academy at Caernarfon.
National squads of all ages were split North/South and Deeside/Bangor. Junior regional competition To give more juniors of a certain level more competition, the first ever North Mid
Junior league was set up and 6 teams with 3 players in each team played monthly. The results and league tables were put on the Squash Wales website! The 6 teams were 2 from Wrexham Brymbo, Deeside, Bethesda, Newtown and Llanfyllin. Congratulation to the first winners, Newtown! Massive thanks also to Mark and Jim from Brymbo for running the league, everyone is looking forward to next year’s!!
Thanks to everyone for their support and help in North Wales.
