Craig entered this $6,000 event as the number one seed and sought to take advantage of her first round bye.
The Lisburn native made light work of Chile’s Antonia Vera Sepulveda in the quarter final, dropping just 5 points in a comfortable straight games victory.
Hannah proved why she was the #1 seed for the event when she grinded out a 3-1 victory over her #3 seed Mexican opposition in the semi-final winning the last two games comfortably, 11-3, 11-4.
The Irish woman’s best was yet to come as she faced the #2 seed, Lucia Bautista in a titanic final. This was a very tense affair which went to the wire. Luckily for Hannah, she showed immense mettle to win the decider 11-7 and claim her first PSA title in South America.
After turning pro this time last year, Hannah dedicated her victory to the sacrifices she has had to make to to fully commit to squash and to those who have pushed and supported her to chase her dreams.
Congratulations Hannah. The first of many.
The three new board members further bolster the expertise on the board of Irish Squash, which has grown considerably as a National Governing Body for Sport in recent years as we strive to fully deliver the 2022-2027 Connecting the Dots Strategic Plan.
Rose Hynes brings substantial, broad-spectrum experience from her work as a commercial lawyer, a member of senior management, and as a Chair and Director of Stock Exchange and SEC-registered companies, as well as other commercial entities across various sectors. Hynes also has extensive experience in leading successful organisations through long periods of complex transformation involving extensive stakeholder interaction. She has over 35 years of experience across all aspects of the aviation industry, both as a senior executive in GPA Group and at board level in Aer Lingus Group, and as Chair of Shannon Group and the Irish Aviation Authority.
Kevin Ahern brings over 30 years of financial services experience, most recently as the CEO of TD Securities in Ireland, leading a front office trading floor encompassing Debt Capital Markets, Rates, Equity Derivatives, Foreign Exchange, and Corporate Banking relationship management. As CEO and Country Head for 10 years, Ahern was a driver of major strategic change. A member of boards of directors in both executive and non-executive capacities for 17 years, Ahern managed the firm’s risk profile, ensuring that appropriate internal systems and controls were in place, and oversaw the adoption of the group’s culture in the day-to-day management of the firm.
Susan Kelly has over 20 years of experience in human resource management and financial services and is currently a Partner at Odgers Berndtson, a leading global executive search and organisational leadership firm. Kelly’s appointment adds further depth and breadth of experience to the board, supporting Irish Squash’s ambition for a strategically focused board planning for and safeguarding the long-term future of the sport.
Commenting on the appointments, President Rosie Barry said:
“Rose, Susan and Kevin will bring a wealth of experience to the new board in Irish Squash, underpinning our transformation to a skills-based board after the EGM in March 2024. I look forward to working closely with them as we continue to professionalise the organisation and further enhance the governance structures already in place. Their appointments are timely, coinciding with the mid-point of our Strategic Plan, Connecting the Dots 2022-2027, as we review progress made to date and refresh strategic objectives for the benefit of our squash community.”
Irish Squash CEO Scott Graham added:
“Irish Squash is well-placed to continue its growth over the coming years, and with the addition of two further highly experienced and committed directors to the board, the organisation and the sport as a whole will benefit in the months and years to come. Irish Squash has been on an upward trajectory recently, with the number of people playing squash on the rise, as well as the number of clubs, tournaments, and coaches. We will shortly be launching a youthful and energetic new brand identity and mobile-optimised website, which will help with our push to increase the number of people involved in squash, particularly young people. Our growing team of Club & Community Development Officers is available to assist clubs across a range of areas, including the establishment of junior sections, participation programme design and delivery, accessing local funding opportunities, and club development planning.
We are also making solid progress on the development of a National Centre, having submitted an application for funding under the Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund.
On the high-performance front, with squash included in the LA 2028 Olympic Games, we are pleased to have secured seed funding to professionalise and develop our high-performance programme. With this in mind, we are currently recruiting for a Head Coach to oversee the High-Performance Unit and chart our path to future international success.”
5 players stole the show making the semi-final in their categories:
It wasn’t to be for Neil after a narrow last 4 defeat, but our other semi-finalist powered into their respective finals.
Our sole female finalist, Mary Sceney gave us a dream start as she took down Wales’s Jill Campion 3-1 to claim gold in the W65+ category. Sceney came from 1 game behind to defeat her opponent in impressive fashion. This was a really special title for Mary, who claims her 3rd World Masters title, 23 years after the first in 2001.
Nicholas Staunton was up second as he faced Mexican Marcos Mendez. Nick never got going and ultimately succumbed to the skills of the Mexican who had dropped just 13 points across his quarter and semifinals. Mendez recorded straight games win over the Irishman. Nonetheless it was a brilliant week Nicholas can be proud of.
Arthur Gaskin was next, taking on former world top 30, Egyptian – Omar Abdel Meguid. Gaskin pushed his opponent all the way in the first, losing a heartbreaker 17-15. It was a similar story in the second with another narrow 11-9 loss. Arthur showed true resilience to flip the script and claim the fourth 11-9 before the Egyptian closed out victory with an 11-6 final game. Not to be for Arthur but a magnificent run to the final.
Our last finalist Wille Hosey was unable to overcome Peter hill of Singapore, going down in 4 despite a spirited effort. Hosey was the #1 seed and displayed all the credentials of the top seed throughout the tournament. It was a wonderful showing from Wille despite defeat and he now carries immense form into our new season.
Massive Congratulations to our finalists and in particular to Mary Sceney on her fantastic World Masters title, replicating her 2001 and 2015 successes.
Well-done also to all who competed during the week and best to luck to all players in our new season.
Player Affiliation for 2024/25
We offer two approaches for player membership registration, designed to accommodate different circumstances and ensure that all players have access to the benefits of affiliation:
From the 1st of October, you will be unable to enter tournaments and leagues without a valid membership.
For assistance, please contact Tiernan Harris at [email protected]
Club Affiliation Fees
Safeguarding Requirement
All clubs will be required to fill out a safeguarding form as part of the affiliation process. This is crucial to ensure that we maintain the highest standards of child protection and welfare across all our clubs. The form can be completed here – https://forms.gle/feeJWxvpL5sLVSB26
For further information and to view the benefits of affiliation, see our Club Affiliation and Membership 2024-25 Document
If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to contact Tiernan at [email protected].
Featured Squash Tournaments
The Irish Masters Open takes place from the 17th to 20th October at Fitzwilliam LTC and is considered one of the premier masters tournaments on the European circuit. This tournament is not to be missed if you are a competitive player over 35 years of age.
The In4 Squash Annual LGBTQ+ Tournament takes place on the 28th of September at Trinity College and is an inclusive social tournament, bringing together members of the LGBTQ+ community from around Ireland and beyond.
The Munster League closes for registration on October 4th and now features six divisions catering to everyone, from absolute beginners to seasoned pros. Connacht, Leinster, and Ulster also organise leagues, and you can find details on social media and through your provincial association.
Sutton LTC is hosting a series of one-day tournaments for U11s, U13s, and U15s. These tournaments offer juniors an action-packed day of squash, where they can play against various players and make new friends. They are suitable for all levels and are a great way for beginners to experience tournament squash.
Highfield Squash Club is hosting a Women’s One Day Open on the 20th of October. The tournament was very popular last season, attracting women from far and wide to this uniquely welcoming women’s-only event.
Check out the calendar at irishsquash.com/calendar for a full list of tournaments, or contact us at [email protected] for more information.
Membership and Club Affiliation
With the start of the 2024/25 season upon us, club affiliation and membership are now due. From October 1st, you will need to be a current member of Irish Squash in order to enter or participate in sanctioned tournaments listed on the calendar.
If you are planning to enter a tournament, please encourage your club to complete their bulk membership upload early. Alternatively, there will be an option to purchase membership directly through the Irish Squash Sporty HQ system if your club has not yet submitted you as a member.
Please contact [email protected] if you need assistance with club affiliation, bulk membership renewals, or direct membership purchases.
Respect
Inclusion is one of the six core values identified in the Irish Squash Strategic Plan, and we are committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment where all members are respected. With this in mind, we would like to remind everyone that all members, coaches, officials, and administrators are bound by the code of conduct.
As part of our regular process of reviewing and updating policies and procedures, Irish Squash has engaged Ireland’s foremost sports law expert, Sarah O’Shea, to review the relevant disciplinary policies and the code of conduct. This process is ongoing, and we look forward to introducing new policies once they are approved.
Best wishes for the season ahead, and please contact a member of staff at Irish Squash if you need assistance.
