Harare Named as Africa Junior Squash Championship Host

The African Squash Federation announced today that Harare, order Zimbabwe have been awarded the next All Africa Junior Championships from 5-10 April 2012.

Commenting upon the first time that the event has been staged in Harare, at the St John’s Squash Club,

Vijay Gajjar, President of ASF said: “While Egypt go from strength to strength at the top of the sport, here in Africa there are encouraging signs of growth in a number of other countries.

“A number of traditional squash-playing nations have a well-developed squash culture – in Congo, for example, the government has provided land for a national centre, and a new scheme ‘Squash to Schools’ has been launched there. Malawi is also targeting primary and high schools as part of its strategic plan with government sponsorship under the title ‘President’s Initiative For Sport’.

“Namibian squash also continues to develop, with the country competing in the Men’s World Team Championships this year for the first time. And with Botswana, Zambia and other countries active too, there are growth spurts to be seen across the continent,” concluded Gajjar.

N Ramachandran, President of the World Squash Federation, welcomed the announcement: “Sub Saharan Africa has tended to be a hidden gem in the world of squash. Despite limited resources, there is so much going on, with national federations spearheading initiatives to develop the sport.

“We can only praise this work which will ensure the vibrancy of our sport in the region.”