Philippine Squash prepares for two international meets

The Philippine Squash Academy is set to host two international tournaments later this month, capitalizing on the opportunity to raise its profile and expose its players to world-class action in anticipation of larger competitions. 

Philippine Squash chairman Robert Bachmann told the Philippine Sportswriter Association (PSA) Forum on Tuesday, October 8, that everything is set for the Philippine Satellite on October 22-25 and the Philippine Challenger Classic on October 27-31.

Both competitions will be held at the PSA Academy, which is located inside the Rizal Memorial Complex in Manila.

“Our top athletes can improve their world rankings by competing here and for the rest, this is a chance to get some exposure by playing with the best,” Bachmann said.

The tournaments, according to Bachmann, will help the Philippine squad get ready for the Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand in 2025, the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan in 2026, and the qualifiers for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. 

Joining Bachmann at the PSA Forum was Malaysian coach Low Wee Wern, a two-time Asian Games gold medalist in the team event and silver medalist in the singles event.

Bachmann praised the Philippine team’s growth for the past seven months under the former world No. 5 Wern’s guidance.

“We’re trying to grow it. I know squash is one of the smallest sports here but we are working for the future of the sport here and its longevity,” the Malaysian coach said.

Players from Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Bahrain, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and Egypt will see action in the back-to-back tournaments.

“It will be a big tournament for us. It’s a good opportunity for our players to learn and for the younger ones to watch some of the best players,” Wee added.