Squash fans throughout Australia will have much to look forward to in the new year, after Squash Australia announced that over 200 events would take place across the country at both state and national level, with the release of the 2022 National Event Calendar.
Presented together for the first time by Squash Australia and the state and territory associations, the calendar will see the return of events around the country. Having spent most of the last two years under lockdown, residents of Victoria will be pleased to see over 40 events in 2022. For the national events, the Australian Doubles Open on the Gold Coast will be kicking things off in January, while Western Australia will host the 2022 Australian Junior Championships later in the year.
Events held in the first half of the year will no doubt provide the perfect platform for Squash Australia’s high performance athletes preparing for the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, and an opportunity for Australia’s squash community to reunite after travel restrictions and lockdowns posed significant challenges in the past two years.
Squash Australia National Lead, Competitions & Events, Tamika Hunt, said she is looking forward to next year and recognised how important it is for the squash community to have a clear, full picture of all events planned for 2022 after the uncertainty associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The past couple years have been incredibly difficult in the event space and have certainly impacted players and participants of our great sport at every level of competition,” she said.
Hunt said she is proud of the collaborative efforts made by the national governing body and all state and territory organisations to connect and work cohesively over the last four months to develop a national calendar for 2022.
“It is with great excitement and optimism that we will have over 200 events scheduled across the country for next year. I feel this is reflective of the squash community banding together and wanting to get back on court to play this great game.
“I would like to thank each state and territory association for assisting with the calendar and I am confident this is a small step in a long-term coordinated approach to the Australian squash calendar,” she said.