In Squash - The Podcast

Canada performed admirably, reaching 6 of 7 possible podiums at last month's 2019 Pan Am Games in Peru, and calling the shots was none other than former world number 4 and 6 time Scottish national champion Martin Heath. Martin gives us his assessment of the Pan Ams, how things went for his Rochester Yellowjackets in 2018/19 and how he's grown over the years as head coach. We also reminisce about years on the circuit, particularly with respect to the impact Peter Nicol had on his playing career.

Jonathon Power was a player like none before or since. World champion, world number 1, British Open champ, 8x Canadian National champion, and Commonwealth Games gold medalist, JP was must watch squash whether it was round 1 v. a qualifier or the World Open final v. Peter Nicol. JP and I talk about the whole nine yards, including his unique development as a junior, the Peter Nicol rivalry, winning the World Open 2008 and the current "advances" in officiating.

A brief backstory of the In Squash Podcast and its host Gerry Gibson as a prelude to Episode 100

The greatest female player of all time graced the In Squash podcast online studio with her presence, and she well exceeded all expectations. Her resume is the stuff of legend: 109 consecutive months at #1 in the world, 8 World Open championships, countless medals at the Commonwealth and Asian Games, very much in a nutshell. Nicol looks back at how she was able to overcome the physical adversity of playing girls/ladies much older and stronger than her during her junior years, how she was able to avoid any serious injury throughout her illustrious career, her mindset as the playing days were winding down, and her current passion, the sweet science :)

2018 Canadian national champion Danielle Letourneau is coming off her best professional season to date, reaching a career high of 36 in the PSA rankings. In fact, 2018/19 was noteworthy for the entire Canadian women's team, all of whom are inside the world's top 40. Danielle describes her 2018/19 season, the wave she rode after winning her first national title, and how the wins and losses at the highest levels of the game are preparing her for bigger and better things. Most importantly though, we take a look at the Canadian Women's Team and how they have their sights set on bringing the team gold back to the great white north.

The winningest coach in US varsity sport history is undoubtedly someone who knows a thing or two about the team aspect of the game of squash; Paul Assaiante is a US Squash hall of famer and a guru of the game, particularly the team aspect. He heads up the US Pan Am Games Team that is competing in Lima, Peru at the end of the month. Paul gives us a break down of the US men's and women's team and how things look in terms of reaching the podium. Paul also looks back at another successful season at Trinity, and we zoom in on some of the coaching intricacies of varsity squash including the unique challenge he had of having to manage the 9 different "languages" that comprised the Trinity line-up.

Don't look past Jamaica at the 2019 Pan Am Games; Christopher Binnie leads the Jamaican squad which also includes PSA tour vet Lewis Walters and Bruce Burrowes. They're certainly one of the dark horses to hit the podium at the end of the day. Chris has had an impressive squash career to date, including 4 stand out years at Trinity College and 4 PSA titles along with a career high 65 world ranking. Things were progressing very nicely until a serious health scare derailed things a bit near the end of 2018; a mini-stroke which undoubtedly impeded a run a great squash. He's back on track again though, and ready to represent Jamaica at the Pan Am Games in a few weeks time. Sadly, I didn't get around to asking him about doppelganger Rory McIlroy :)

The US ladies team are the reigning Pan Am Games women's team gold medalists, and Olivia Blatchford Clyne and her teammates Amanda and Sabrina Sobhy are favored to bring home the gold again. Olivia and I have a great chat about this year's team, the threat that the Canadian women pose, recent changes to her strength and conditioning under the guidance of Scottish guru Neil Gibson, and of course her husband Alan Clyne who has had a pretty decent season of his own, although he could use some help spicing up that chicken pasta recipe.

Accepted to law school, about to complete a masters degree, and a swan song appearance for Team Canada at the 2019 Pan Am Games in Lima Peru, Andrew Schnell joins me on episode 92 to chop it up. 2 time Canadian National Champion, 2015 Pan Am Games gold and silver medalist, reached the top 60 in the world in 2016, and winner of several PSA titles including the prestigious Bankers Hall event in his hometown of Calgary, Andrew has had a stellar squash career and we'll be sad to see him go. Not before this final appearance at the Pan Am Games though, and of course not before another classic Shawn Delierre anecdote.

Since 2002, Adil Maqbool has maintained the UAE's #1 ranking, and after some time away from the pro game he's back playing again. One of the game's most talented with the racket, he's had his hands full over the past few years juggling parenthood duties (father of three), a new business (IT related), and his pro squash aspirations. His squash backstory, teaming up with his father, is unconventional if not intriguing and unique. We talk about this and then get into a wide-ranging discussion on the Super Series finals in Dubai, junior development and how Pakistan can put itself back on the map, a topic in which Rod Gilmore and Alan Thatcher quoted his father Maqbool Khawaja in the book Jahangir Khan 555.

Andrew Douglas is no stranger to representing the US on the big stage. He was part of the US junior men's team that finished 3rd at the World Championships a few years back, and led the University of Pennsylvania to its highest ever finish in 2018/19. Andrew is pumped for the Pan Am Games in Lima, and relishes this opportunity to represent the US in what many feel is squash's Olympics along with the Commonwealth Games. Alongside tour veterans Todd Harrity and Chris Hanson, the US look forward to bringing home the gold in the team event. He was part of the US junior men's team that finished 3rd at the World championships a few years back, and led the University of Pennsylvania to its highest ever finish in 2018/19. Andrew is pumped for the Pan Am Games in Lima, and relishes this opportunity to represent the US in what many feel is squash's Olympics along with the Commonwealth Games. Alongside tour veterans Todd Harrity and Chris Hanson, the US look forward to bringing home the gold in the team event.

Framboise Gommendy has covered the professional game at its highest levels for several generations now. Squashsite (run by Fram and Steve Cubbins)is the go to online squash news source for the global squash community, and it's Fram's intimate, passionate, and blow by blow journalistic approach that gives squashsite that special appeal. Fram and I cover a lot of ground, from her early years as an aspiring actress to what she thought of the 2018/19 season; in fact she interviews me to kick things off which was a real treat. Her impassioned and emotional tributes to those that retired this year. players that in her words she watched grow up, are one of the several highlights of this delightful chat.

Following in the footsteps of French greats like Thierry Lincou and Gregory Gaultier, Gregoire Marche has stepped things up in 2018/19 with the best squash of his career. A win at last weeks Montpellier Open over James Willstrop along with the Pittsburgh Open (his biggest win to date) earlier in the year, Gregoire finds himself on the cusp of breaking into the world's top 10. We have a great chat about how he's arrived at this point in his career, and a few anecdotes about his golf and Twitter games.

University of Rochester stand out Ryosei Kobayashi is a talent that you don't want to miss. Winner of the prestigious US varsity squash Skillman Award, Ryosei decided to forego pro squash for a crack at the private sector; seemingly it was just a brief bit of respite as he's hit the ground running in his first year on tour. Winning a few satellite PSA events along with several wins over players ranked 100 spots above him, Ryosei has his sights firmly set on success as a pro squash player. You want to buy stock in this guy, a talent with the type of energy that one rarely sees.

Founder and GM of Infinitum Squash, Chessin Gertler has parlayed his successful junior and collegiate squash playing days into a squash business and development model that is most certainly making inroads. Chessin, who teamed up with Infinitum Director of Squash Nick Taylor in 2017, is one of squash's young outliers; His approach to developing the game across the board is showing promising results. We discuss this approach and how Infinitum Squash came to be following his playing days. Then there is our mutual affinity with Korea.

2018/2019 has been a campaign of new heights for Saurav Ghosal. Saurav became the first-ever Indian male to win the Asian Championships a few short weeks ago, and in April he reached the world's top 10 for the first time. Saurav explains that it took a certain wherewithal and perseverance to get there though, and his explanation of this journey is awesome. His relationship with Malcom Willstrop is obviously a huge reason behind this success, as are the recent tweaks under the guidance of David Palmer. Saurav and I talk about this and many other aspects related to his journey to the PSA top 10. Also, you don't want to miss his stirring tribute to Ramy Ashour.

Since 1976, Andrew Shelley has been laying the groundwork for developing the game of squash, and he took this skill set to the highest level in 2010 when he became WSF CEO. His list of accomplishments in terms of what he's done to grow our great game are too long to mention here. He leaves his WSF post in June, and it was great to speak with Andrew about his squash experience to date, what he accomplished in his SRA, WISPA and WSF roles, and he even shared a few great anecdotes in doing so.

Two time US National Champion, proud New Yorker, and current world #68 Chris Hanson graced the podcast with his presence on Episode 83. He lit up the TOC this year with a great first round win followed by a near upset of world #16 Omar Mosad. Currently with Rodney Martin in his corner, and Rodney Eyles and John Power Sr previously, there's good reason to believe that results like this are bound to come more consistently. First things first though, the US are looking to bring the Pan Am Games squash team gold back home this summer.

For squash players who grew up playing the game in the 80s, we grew up idolizing Jahangir Khan, and synonymous with Jahangir was his iconic coach Rahmat Khan. Rahmat helped guide Jahangir to a record 10 British Open titles, and the backstory behind their success is one we can all learn from. Rahmat describes the challenges Jahangir had early on following the death of his brother Torsem, and how this ultimately laid the groundwork for the unwavering discipline, focus and professionalism that characterized the Jahangir/Rahmat partnership throughout the years. Rahmat talks of the Jansher v. Jahangir rivalry,JK's highly successful foray into the North American hardball scene, how JK managed to remain injury free through all those years, the current state of squash in Pakistan, and his take on the current era of squash.

Squash renaissance man Richard Millman is fighting the good fight, and always has been. Richard emerged in the US several years back and has embarked on an incredible squash journey that currently has him as the teaching pro at a squash club in Chattanooga, Tennessee, not exactly a squash hotbed which is why Richard is there. Richard is an outlier, always pushing the envelope, and through all of the initiatives, insights, and an incredible backstory you will definitely see why.