Latest news with #PSAChallenger
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Saurav Ghosal calls off comeback, returns to retirement
Bengaluru: Months after Saurav Ghosal came out of retirement and won a PSA Challenger title in Sydney, the squash pro is coming to terms with a difficult decision. The first Indian male player to break into the top 10, Saurav had announced his retirement in April last year after spending over two decades on the PSA Tour. Early this year, he returned with the goal of making it to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where squash will make its debut. That dream has now been extinguished. 'Basically, I can't play anymore,' Saurav revealed to HT, fighting back emotions. 'My right hip is gone. There's too much degeneration. It's essentially early-stage arthritis of the bone. The specialists have said they can manage it for maybe 12-18 months – but three and a half years is something they can't guarantee. Apparently, the damage can't be reversed. So, if I don't have a guarantee that I can properly try for the Olympics, then it just seems futile in the grand scheme of things.' Had the Olympics been next year, Saurav says he would have put his body on the line. 'I would have tried to manage it with PRP injections and artificial cartilage injections if it were the Olympics instead of the Asian Games next year.' Next year's Asian Games, which he originally planned to play when he announced his comeback, 'doesn't make sense' for him anymore without the end goal of the Olympics. 'An individual Asian Games gold would be nice, but it doesn't pull me hard enough.' For the 38-year-old, the diagnosis hit like a cold shower from hell. 'Now when I look back, since early last year, I've been having issues with my glute and abductor. Only now do we know that it's because the hip is degenerating. When I was in Sydney, I wasn't able to stretch properly after matches because it was hurting. I played through the tournament and afterwards I was limping. I got an MRI done and that's when I learnt I have a condition called Avascular Necrosis (AVN), which is basically lack of blood flow to the bone tissue. Doctors think that the AVN has been triggered by early arthritis. I've been told that I might need a hip replacement at some point. It could be in five years or ten years.' He consulted top doctors, including a hip specialist who works with the British Olympic team. 'He said if I really want to play he'd help me as much as he possibly can. But six months down the line, it could just break down.' Eager to pull all stops for LA 2028, Saurav even considered going for a hip replacement surgery right away. 'It takes nine to twelve months for the prosthesis to set fully. The time frame to qualify for the Olympics then becomes harder because the Asian Games is obviously out. To make it via ranking in a draw of 16, I'll have to be top 15 in the world. To make it into the top 15 in two years, is difficult. Everything put together, it's pretty much like running up a hill the entire time.' He has broken the news to his innermost circle and key stakeholders – family, coaches and sponsors – and was recently announced director of high performance sports at Agilitas, a sportswear manufacturer. He's doing things he's never done before – coordinating with product designers on footwear and apparel for various sports, brainstorming marketing strategies, helping decide athlete endorsements and institutional partnerships and closing the loop with athlete feedback. 'The good thing is it's keeping me really busy so it helps manage the mental pain.' Still, the decision to call off his comeback remains what he calls an 'open wound.' 'I was at the International Olympic Committee athlete forum in Lausanne a few days ago, and in my head, I went, 'Damn, man, I can't play the Olympics.' It really hits you in some moments. It's going to take some getting used to.'
The Star
02-06-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Harith caps stunning run in Auckland with first PSA Challenger title
All smiles: Harith Danial Jefri (left) and Low Wa Sern posing with their prizes after the Auckland Open final. — SRAM PETALING JAYA: Rising squash player Harith Danial Jefri put the cherry on his birthday cake after securing his first PSA Challenger title at the Auckland Open yesterday. Having just turned 19 on Saturday, Harith took the win in the final after defeating compatriot Low Wa Sern 11-5, 2-11, 16-14, 10-12, 11-6 at the North Shore Squash Club.
Scoop
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
Squash Action Hits Courts For Auckland Open
Press Release – Squash Auckland The Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Squash Open gets underway, tomorrow (Thursday 22 May) at the North Shore Squash Club with some intriguing matches in the opening rounds. The men's PSA Challenger has first and second round matches on Friday followed by quarters and semis on Saturday and final Sunday while the women's Satellite runs Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. The men's draw involves players such as Northland left-hander Freddie Jameson who was a finalist at the New Zealand Junior Open this year but is up against another teen in Auckland's Vihan Chathury who will be playing for New Zealand at World Junior Championships in Egypt in July. Gisborne-raised Willz Donnelly, Bay of Plenty's Glenn Templeton as well as Henderson's Apa Fatialofa and North Shore's Sion Wiggan against Korean seed Youngjo Ko are all on court in the first round. If matches go to plan top seeded 18-year-old Ollie Dunbar will play seventh seed Gianluca Bushell-O'Connor from Australia in the quarters on Saturday, Dunbar ranked 140 in the world would then have a likely semifinal against either fourth seed Camern Darton (Australia) or fifth seed Jooyung Na (Korea) on Saturday afternoon. In the bottom half of the draw Shamil Wakeel from Sri Lanka who is seeded second will face the winner of the clash between Malaysian teenager Harith Daniel and Taupo's Bryce McMullen in the second round The women's Satellite draw has Jena Gregory originally from the Hawkes Bay, as top seed and set to face Waikato's Sophie Hodges, the fourth seed in the semifinals if the draw works out. Second seed, Bay of Plenty's Winona Jo-Joyce could come up against third seed Emma Merson (Bay of Plenty) or four-time former champion Lana Harrison for a place in the final. The tournament runs Thursday 22 May – Sunday 25 May at the North Shore Squash Club with 170 entries across all divisions. All draws will be on the website.
Scoop
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
Squash Action Hits Courts For Auckland Open
The Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Squash Open gets underway, tomorrow (Thursday 22 May) at the North Shore Squash Club with some intriguing matches in the opening rounds. The men's PSA Challenger has first and second round matches on Friday followed by quarters and semis on Saturday and final Sunday while the women's Satellite runs Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. The men's draw involves players such as Northland left-hander Freddie Jameson who was a finalist at the New Zealand Junior Open this year but is up against another teen in Auckland's Vihan Chathury who will be playing for New Zealand at World Junior Championships in Egypt in July. Gisborne-raised Willz Donnelly, Bay of Plenty's Glenn Templeton as well as Henderson's Apa Fatialofa and North Shore's Sion Wiggan against Korean seed Youngjo Ko are all on court in the first round. If matches go to plan top seeded 18-year-old Ollie Dunbar will play seventh seed Gianluca Bushell-O'Connor from Australia in the quarters on Saturday, Dunbar ranked 140 in the world would then have a likely semifinal against either fourth seed Camern Darton (Australia) or fifth seed Jooyung Na (Korea) on Saturday afternoon. In the bottom half of the draw Shamil Wakeel from Sri Lanka who is seeded second will face the winner of the clash between Malaysian teenager Harith Daniel and Taupo's Bryce McMullen in the second round The women's Satellite draw has Jena Gregory originally from the Hawkes Bay, as top seed and set to face Waikato's Sophie Hodges, the fourth seed in the semifinals if the draw works out. Second seed, Bay of Plenty's Winona Jo-Joyce could come up against third seed Emma Merson (Bay of Plenty) or four-time former champion Lana Harrison for a place in the final. All draws will be on the website.
Scoop
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
Talented Kiwi Teenager Heads Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Squash Open Field
Young talent highlights the 2025 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Squash Open with a couple of New Zealand's best teenage players taking further steps into their professional careers. Top seed at the PSA Challenger tournament which runs Thursday 22 - Sunday 25 May is 18-year-old Ollie Dunbar from Wellington who has had an amazing 2025. Currently ranked at 145 in the world Dunbar recently won the Australian and New Zealand junior titles. He was a semifinalist at the professional World Championship qualifying event plus reached the second round at the 2025 New Zealand Open after beating world No54 Rui Soares of Portugal. There was also a title at the Scottish Junior U19 Open and a quarterfinal appearance at the British Junior U19 Open as well. Dunbar, who is coached by former Auckland Open winner, Evan Williams is aiming for his first PSA Challenger title and is using the tournament as part of his build up for the World Junior Championships in Egypt in July. Another teen looking to take his pro career further is left-handed Freddie Jameson, 19 from Whangarei in Northland who has a current ranking of 603. Jameson was a beaten finalist to Dunbar in the New Zealand Junior Open earlier this year. Jameson spent time training in Malaysia with Dunbar late last year. The men's second seed is Shamil Wakeel from Sri Lanka followed by tournament regulars Ben Ratcliffe and Cameron Darton both from Australian along with Korean Jeongmin Ryu all ranked around the world. Other New Zealanders in the draw include Willz Donnelly originally from Gisborne, Bay of Plenty's Glenn Templeton and Apa Fatialofa from Auckland's Henderson Club who have all had PSA rankings in recent times.. There are other competitors from Australia, Korea, Malaysia and Pakistan. The women's satellite tournament features at large number of local and national players and will be very competitive. It's headed by four-time former champion Lana Harrison who first won in 2008 and then again 2020, 22 and 2023. Other players to have or had a professional ranking include Sophie Hodges from the Waikato, Gemma Gregory as well as the Bay of Plenty duo Winona Jo-Joyce and Emma Merson. Recent winners of the tournament include Temwa Chileshe in 2024, Josephe White (Australia), Lwamba Chileshe, Evan Williams, Henry Leung (Korea), While the women's champions of the past five years include Madison Lyon (Australia), Lana Harrison on three occasions and Jessica Turnbull (Australia). Other champions of the past include Paul Coll, Martin Knight and Campbell Grayson as well as Shelley Kitchen, Amanda Landers-Murphy, Joelle King, Carol Owens and Lelani Joyce. Over 120 players are taking part in the numerous graded champs running alongside the PSA tournament over the four days, all at the North Shore Club in Takapuna. The Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Open PSA Challenger tournament runs from Thursday 22 May to Sunday 25 May. The finals are 2pm for women and 3pm Sunday for men.
