Squash team eager to return to Games fold

Squash team eager to return to Games fold

Squash last featured at the Bermuda Games in 2013, where Jersey took home four medals, and in July, four men and four women will look to replicate that success.

‘It is great for us to be back in,’ said squad member Antony Harkin. ‘It will be a brilliant experience for us all but for the youngsters, getting to play at such a high level so early can only be good for their development as players.’

Teenagers Beth Garton, Sophie Pallot and Amelie Turpin travel alongside player-manager Susan Turpin in the women’s contingent, while Charlie Griggs and Scott Gautier, both of whom have competed at previous games, join debutants Harkin and James Lewis in the men’s team.

‘Having Charlie and Scott there will be excellent as they will bring that experience and knowledge of the Games,’ said Harkin. ‘It will be a great for our more inexperienced players also, as they will see some top quality squash and play against some top opposition. It will also pose new challenges for all of us as we will have to adapt to the hot weather and bouncy ball.

‘It gives us something to train for. Being in the position we are means that it is so rare for us to get opportunities like this, so we are all excited and working so hard in the build up.

‘I hope that us going will help boost the sport again in Jersey, as people will see our successes and see that we are still a thriving sport even without Nick Taylor.

‘Obviously in Bermuda we took the gold and silver, so of course it will be hard to follow. With it being omitted from the last two Games it is also hard to predict the standard and see where we stack up, but we will bring our ‘A’ game to every fixture and hopefully return with some silverware.’

Jersey squash Island Games team, men: Charlie Griggs, Scott Gautier, Antony Harkin, James Lewis. Women: Beth Garton, Sophie Pallot, Amelie Turpin, Susan Turpin.

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