Squash NZ Confirms Team For Men's World Champs

Squash NZ Confirms Team For Men's World Champs

Squash New Zealand has confirmed a team of four players to attend the 2017 World Men’s Team Championships to be held in Marseille, France from 27th November to 3rd December this year.

The team will be headlined by current world number 10 Paul Coll.

Coll originally from Greymouth and now based in The Hague in Amsterdam had an exceptional 2016/17 season which has seen him make his way into the top 10 becoming the first New Zealander since 1995 to achieve this ranking.

Coll will be competing in the US Open, Channel VAS Championships, Qatar Classic and the Hong Kong Open prior to the event.

Campbell Grayson originally from Auckland now living in New York has been a long time representative for New Zealand having first represented New Zealand in the Senior Teams in 2005.

Grayson has reached a career high ranking of 34 and will be looking to use his experience to help guide the team throughout the event. Grayson will also be competing in the US Open and Qatar Classic, as well as the Chicago Open and Indian Squash Circuit International prior to the Teams Event.

Wellingtonian Evan Williams will make his third appearance in the senior ranks for New Zealand.

Williams holds a current World Ranking of 84 and has claimed five professional titles to his name. Williams will compete in the Queensland Open and the Cairns International prior to the World Men’s Teams.

Ben Grindrod hails from Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty and will make his debut appearance for New Zealand in the senior ranks having last represented New Zealand at the 2012 World Junior Men’s Team Championships in Doha.

Grindrod is currently ranked 130 in the world and he will be competing in the Venice and Romanian Open prior to the Teams event.

Lance Beddoes has been named as the non-travelling reserve for the event.

Kashif Shuja the World Men’s Team manager and coach is pleased with the team and its potential for good results at the world champs.

“'After considering nine strong contenders for the World Men's Team Championships, New Zealand's chosen four will make one of the strongest New Zealand Men's team in over three decades.

No doubt the team will represent the High Performance squad, Squash New Zealand, the squash community and the country in the best possible way, on and off court. The players have high goals and are committed to achieving their targets whilst contributing to the long standing mana and reputation of Squash New Zealand. We look forward to both World Men’s Team Championships in Marseille as well as the World Individual Championships in Manchester”.

ENDS

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