Srilanka Squash News | Srilanka Squash Photos | Squash Caledar | Srilanka Squash Events | Srilanka Squash Athletes | World Squash News | Squash Referees | Squash Rules | Squash Ranking

 


BRIEF HISTORY OF SQUASH IN SRI LANKA
 

  
 







 

Introduction to Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lanka Squash Federation which was established in early part of 1981, now steps in to near completion of three decades of active involvement in promoting & regulating the Game of Squash in Sri Lanka. Compared to most other National Sports bodies having a history of more than 50 years, Squash is perhaps one of the youngest, but during the period, since its formation, it could say that it has made tremendous strides.

Though one cannot trace the exact history of introduction of Squash in Sri Lanka, it is evident that the British Armed Forces & their other British expatriate community in the Plantations, Bureaucracy etc were the driving force in establishing the game in Sri Lanka as much as they have been in India & present day Pakistan etc in the Sub Continent. It is recorded in the Indian Squash history that the first Squash courts were built at the ‘Calcutta Racket Club’. With Ceylon, as it was known then, being managed by the ‘East India Company’ for the British Empire.

The Diyatalawa Gemunu Watch Squash Court is one of the oldest, solidly built with perfect wooden floor. Same could be said of the Old Squash Court at the Officers Mess of the Royal Ceylon Air Force in Katunayaka minus the wooden floor. Other older courts were the two Squash Courts at former Queens Club at Bullers Road, which was then open to Expatriates only; There were evidence of at least two more Court markings at the same venue, now of course the property of the Sri Lanka Air Force, where a Gymnasium & a Badminton Court been built, covering those evidence.! Royal Ceylon Navy Courts in Trincomalee could be as old if not older.


Competitive Squash.

Until 1980, Squash was played as a ‘Social Game’ by a few members of the Armed Forces, who mostly were introduced to the game during their training stints in the United Kingdom, whether they belonged to the Army, Navy or the Air Force and Members of the Queens Club and the Plantation Community with their Courts in Radalle , Dimbulla etc.

During the latter part of 1980, Wing Commander [Retired] Noel Fernando who was the General Manager of ‘Thomas Cook’ in Colombo, after a game of Squash at the Gymkhana Club Courts at Maitland Crescent, with ‘Mr.Mike Smith, the then Resident Representative of IBM Sri Lanka, had discussed the possibility of conducting an Open Squash Championships with the then President of the Gymkhana Club, Mr.Srinath Sirimane. Until then the only Squash activity of any ‘Competitive nature’ was confined to the ‘Royal Ceylon Air Force’ playing a Friendly’ against the Members of the Queens Club, which had quite a number of expatriates included in their team, perhaps once or twice a year, either at the Queens Club or they were hosted by the Air Force Officers in Katunayaka. Air Force also played a couple of such ‘Friendlies’ against the Sri Lanka Navy, during Admiral Basil Gunasekera’s time as its Commander, since he was a keen Squash player, again picked up the game at Dartmouth!

First Championship was called the ‘IBM/Thomas Cook Open Squash Championships’, which were conducted in early December in 1980 at the CCC courts. Inspired by the tremendous response it received from the Squash fraternity in Sri Lanka, the seeds of the formation of ‘Sri Lanka Squash Federation’ were mooted.

By the first quarter of 1981, the inaugural meeting of the Squash Federation took place with the three Armed Forces, Sri Lanka Air Force, Sri Lanka Army , Sri Lanka Navy along with the Gymkhana Club and the fifth founder member being ‘St.Thomas’ College, Guruthalawa, the only College to have a Squash Court of their own at that time.

Newly formed Sri Lanka Squash Federation [SLSF], after having been duly recognized & registered with the Ministry of Sports, obtained membership of the Asian Squash Federation & a five member team took wings to take part at its 1st Asian Senior Squash Championships in August 1981, held in Karachi, Pakistan. Since then, Sri Lanka has taken part in every Asian Senior or Junior Championships held at many countries in the region.

Formal National Championships started off from December 1981. During the next four years the ‘Nationals’ was the only tournament conducted with events expanded to ‘Men’s & Women’s Open, Boys under 19, Novices as well as Masters over 40. A major departure occurred in August 1985 with the introduction of the Ranveli Open Squash Championships in August & the Oberoi Open later in October, which was culminated with the ‘Nationals’ in December 1985. Since then the Federation has been conducting between 5 to 7 open tournaments a year.

Another noteworthy milestone achieved was the introduction of the ‘Junior Nationals’ in August 1990. The idea of holding a separate Junior National Championships’ for different age groups was felt due to the absence of Junior Players in the game & to ensure that it spreads to a wider section at much younger age groups. First Junior Nationals was sponsored by ‘Union Transport Private Limited’ a Freight Forwarding Company where its Directors were involved with promoting Badminton & Squash. Since then, the Junior Nationals has been the 2nd most prestigious event of the SLSF Calendar drawing much interest amongst the juniors.

International Squash Championships in Sri Lanka.

In 1991, Sri Lanka hosted the 5th Asian Junior Squash Championships in Colombo. Sri Lanka Squash Federation also successfully conducted Squash competition at the 10th South Asian Games held in Colombo, at the renovated Gymkhana Squash Courts in August 2006.

Sri Lanka Squash Federation also successfully hosted the 3rd Asian Junior Individual & 1st Asian Masters Squash Championships in July 2010.

Squash Courts.

As at 1981, there were about 10 to 12 Squash Courts in Sri Lanka, which were basically at the Queens Club, CCC/Gymkhana Club, Gemunu Watch, Air Force, Katunayaka, Air Force Ground Combat & Recruit Training Unit, Diyatalawa, Navy Dockyard Trincomalee, Dimbulla, Radalla, and another Court built at Galle Buck by the Sri Lanka Navy. Only school to have a court was St.Thomas, Guruthalawa.

Another aspect, not directly related to SLSF, was the sudden boom in building Squash Courts amongst the Hotel Trade! With minimum costs involved, most leading Hotels in Colombo found that they could meet the international hotel rating requirements, when it came to providing their guests with Sporting facilities, by building Squash Courts. Thus, as at now most Hotels in Colombo as well as a few at out stations have Squash Courts. Sugathadasa Outdoor Stadium which built one Court with boarded flooring , later on build 4 Glass Back Courts at the Indoor Stadium, when it was upgraded prior to South Asian Games held in Colombo in1991.With the expansion of Armed Forces Bases all over the island, many Service Camps also have included Squash Courts in most of their Sports Complexes.

Few of the leading schools also have built courts to provide their children in house facilities & few others are in the process of doing same.

All in all, as at now, Sri Lanka could boast of over 125 Squash Courts in Sri Lanka.

Technical advancement.

The growth of the game relies also on the availability of Technical Support such as Referees, Markers & Coaches. Sri Lanka had its 1st two officials to follow the first ever ‘Referees Clinic’ conducted by the Asian Squash Federation in August 1981, running parallel with the ASF Championships. Mr. Milroy Silva, Honorary Secretary of SLSF along with Mr.C.R.Dias followed same under the watchful eye of ‘Capt.Mujitaba’ of Pakistan Navy, who conducted a Week long Course with practical & assessments! From there onwards many others have followed ‘ASF or WSF Referees Clinics’ which culminated with a Week long Referees Seminar conducted by ‘Mr. Rod Symmington, a Canadian National, Chairman of the WSF Referee Assessors Panel, in Colombo during 20th Junior Nationals in October 2009.

On the Coaching front, the first ever ‘ASF Level 1’ Coaching Course for Sri Lankans was conducted by ‘Chris Clerk’, ASF Director Coaching, in Colombo during the Asian Junior Championships in January 1991. Over 6 Sri Lankans were Qualified as ‘ASF Level 1’ Coaches. Again from there onwards, SLSF has arranged many others to follow such courses and as at today it could boast of one ‘Level 3 Coach in Mrs.Yasmin Zarook, and over 25 others who are either Level 1 or Level 2 Certificated Coaches.