Lowveld Masters Squash Tournament 2010
This last weekend (31 July & 1 August), 120 squash “oldies” took to the courts in Nelspruit and White River. They descended on the Lowveldfrom Central, Eastern and Northern Gauteng, Mpumalanga, North West, Northern Natal, and the Free State. This tournament has been running for 12 years, with at least half the players having attended it from inception, it being a “must attend” on their squash calendar.
In the Men’s Division there were 4 sections. The Gauteng Rebels have been the champions for many years and once again clinched the 1st place with 39 points. 2 teams from the Lowveld, namely “Pienaar Erwee Engineers” and “Tops the Grove” teams finished 2nd and 3rd with only a point separating them on 31 and 30. The 4th team from Gauteng finished much lower having always won the B section, but had to move up due to a withdrawal from the Free State.
The B Section had a fair range of scores with Gary O’Brian Invitation from Gauteng on 42, Samoosa 45’s from Middelburg on 36, “Duduma Engineers”, Lowveld finished 3rd with 24 and Northern Gauteng 4th with 16.
The C Section had the closest scores in the tournament. 2 Central Gauteng Teams battled it out against 2 Eastern Gauteng teams, with the scores finishing on 26, 28 and the top 2 on 30 each.
The D Section had the best regional mix, with the Free Staters taking 4th place with 21 points. Gauteng finished in 3rd with 30, Eastern Gauteng won the D section with 34 and in between these 2 was The Wild Side with 32. This team came from Swaziland, Hoedspruit and Nelspruit.
The Ladies played in 2 sections, with the A Section dominated by a new entry from SA Country Districts, coming 1st with 39 points. They were closely followed by Gauteng on 37 points. The 3rd and 4th slots were battled out between Lowveld and Northerns, with Northerns taking 3rd place. However, Lowveld Ladies dominated the B Section taking 1st place with 36 points, and Eastern Gauteng 2nd on 34. 2 teams from Gauteng brought up the rear.
This year saw the biggest local entry with 36 players across the sections, ranging from 1st down to 4th league players.
Almost all the players were hosted at Ingwenyama Hotel, which added to the “family feel” of the tournament, with the weekend ending on a high note at the Jock & Java with prize giving where all the players, after enjoying the glorious Lowveld sunshine and hospitality, went home with a complimentary bottle of wine.
Vanessa Christenson (Lowveld Squash Chairperson)