Hongi brings NZ title home
“I finally did it!”
Veteran Kaitaia squash enthusiast Hongi Laing made no attempt to disguise his joy at winning his first ever national title.
Laing claimed the Canterbury Cup by winning the age 65-70 division at the New Zealand Squash national masters championships in Tauranga earlier this month, beating top seed Wayne Seebeck in the final.
A field of eight players contested this year’s title in the champs which ran from Friday to Sunday, September 14-16. The first game on Friday evening was effectively a quarter final, the next on Saturday was the semi final before the final took place on Sunday afternoon.
The final was, fittingly, a hardfought encounter which went all the way to five games after Laing and Seebeck had battled it out to a 2-all standstill before the Kaitaia man took out the title decider.
“It was a good tournament. I knuckled down and played really well. Took all the guys that had beaten me previously, really got stuck into them, turned it all around,” said Laing, adding Seebeck was the player who had stood between him and the same title last year.
The achievement can be considered even more remarkable considering the lack of competition at masters level (anyone over 35) Laing has at his disposal in such a small town. A dedicated and determined campaigner for the Kaitaia Squash Club, he frequently travels long distances to support and compete at events across the country.
“It’s not easy to get a good hard match in Kaitaia,” Laing said, thanking all his Kaitaia Squash Club colleagues across the different age grades at the Kaitaia Squash Club by giving him games during his build-up to the nationals.
“I’m so chuffed to win my first New Zealand title.”
Laing intends to defend the title at next year’s championships in Timaru.