International squash and inter-varsity excitement

UCT's squash courts will host some of the big names in world squash during the Keith Grainger Memorial UCT Squash Open from 28 April to 4 May.

The tournament is held in honour of late UCT student and talented squash player Keith Grainger, who succumbed to cancer in 2001, during his third year at UCT. Grainger, whose leg was amputated before he arrived at university, was deeply involved with UCT squash before his passing, as both player and organiser.

This year's instalment - the eighth so far - is registered as part of a US$5 000 series (about R45 600) of events in South Africa on the men's Professional Squash Association (PSA) and Women's Squash Association (WSA) tours.

"The UCT Squash Club has encouraged the local community to get involved and support the event on and off the court," says Kerr Rogers, sports co-ordinator at UCT. "Spectators will be guaranteed plenty of drama on the court, with SA's best players matching their skills against players ranked among the top 100 in the world."

These players include alumna Siyoli Waters (South Africa), ranked 41st in the world (ladies), and Shaun le Roux (South Africa), ranked 54th in the world and second in SA.

The finals of both the women's and men's events will take place on 4 May.

"All donations received will be handed over to the Cancer Association of South Africa at the prize-giving on 4 May," added Rogers. This week also sees the revived intervarsity sporting bonanza between UCT and arch-rivals Stellenbosch University taking place for the second year in a row. The Ikeys and Maties will cross swords in 27 sporting codes from 3 to 5 May at UCT.

Chess, table tennis, netball and hockey are among the codes that take to their 'fields' on 3 May, while the next day begins with a cycling time trial inside Jameson Hall. The yacht clubs take to the seas at Milnerton Aquatic Club, while Ikey TaekwonDokas will be looking to get one up on their Matie opponents on the martial arts mat, before a 4x100m relay lights up the UCT A Rugby Field.

The final day of the annual event sees the athletics clubs competing in a 10km race, the golfers 'getting their McIlroy on' at the Westlake Golf Club, and a surfing meet between UCT, US and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology surfers, depending on the weather.