Squash bonanza to hit UCT this weekend

The 12th Keith Grainger Memorial UCT Squash Open promises to be the biggest yet with more than 170 players from around the world expected to converge on the UCT Sports Centre between 21 and 28 April 2017.

The annual UCT tournament attracts professional and amateur squash players alike, with the squash courts typically packed to capacity. This will be the sixth time that the event is registered on the Professional Squash Association (PSA) calendar, meaning that players can accumulate ranking points at the event. It is registered as a US$5 000 prize-money event for both men and women.

Player registration takes place on 22 April with the qualifying rounds starting on 23 April. The Open, Masters and PSA finals will take place on 28 April.

Shaun Le Roux, one of the winners of the 2013 tournament, will co-host a coaching clinic for school-going squash players on 23 April from 17:00 at the UCT Sports Centre, with other professional players.

Results from the tournament will be used by Western Province Squash to help select its provincial teams for the Jarvis/Kaplan Cup, the annual interprovincial South African squash tournament.

The UCT tournament was first played in 2002 in honour of late UCT squash legend Keith Grainger. He was a champion squash player at high school and was diagnosed with cancer in his knee during his matric year. Despite having his leg amputated, Grainger was actively involved with squash at UCT between 1999 and 2001. He died during his third year at the university and was posthumously conferred with the Chairperson’s Award for service to UCT sport that year.