Men’s Captain’s Message for the New Season
Another year has rolled around and the 2016/2017 squash season is upon us again and started on 3rd October. Again we have new people, a new sponsor, new teams and new convenors making for another exciting season of squash.
I’m particularly excited about the new members joining this season. The squash section trials this year were at an altogether different level of squash ability, allowing us to recruit perhaps our strongest cohort of new Sports Preferred Members ever. New members are joining teams from Division 10 up to being competitive in our very strongest teams in Division 2. A warm welcome to all the new players – do get involved every way you can in the season, socials, ladder, tournaments, juniors programme and tours. There are many ways to contribute to the section and we hope everyone can find their niche to do so.
Thanks and appreciation to our new sponsors St. James’s Place Wealth Management and O’Melveny. Teams will be looking forward to wearing the new lime green and blue kit showing the St. James’s Place logo. Thanks also to our out-going sponsors for all their generous support to the section over the years: Laracy & Co, King & Wood Mallesons, Meco and East Park.
The teams are seeing some exciting rearrangements to allow for more middle ability teams where there is particular member demand as HKFC squash players have improved in recent seasons. This year will see two teams in both Division 8 and Division 10 consisting predominantly of players moving up who had done well in previous seasons – I look forward to seeing some friendly intraclub rivalry in those divisions. The stronger Division teams have also been significantly strengthened by new Sports Preferred Members – we hope the club can look forward to silverware in those intensely competitive higher divisions.
Other changes for the new season are the drop in Masters age in M1 from 40+ to 35+. This was a wise move by HK squash to maintain a critical mass of older elite players to sustain one of the highest standard Masters leagues in the world. Whilst the change only directly affects a handful of our players for this season, no doubt it will facilitate clubs across Hong Kong to sustain their M1 teams.
Many thanks in advance to the convenors – both new and old - for volunteering to convene teams during the coming season. Their time and effort over the long season to enthuse, organise and lead their teams across the many weeks of the season are most appreciated by all the members of the section.
As ever, it’s a privilege playing squash at the Hong Kong Football Club and I hope every member can contribute to the community in whichever way they can in the year ahead.
Best of luck for the new season.
Julian Tanner
HKFC Squash Men’s Captain