SQUASH STAR SET TO TRAVEL
SQUASH will be the only thing on a local player’s mind after she was selected to tour Malaysia and Hong Kong for a squash tournament later this month.
Hayley Ward, 17, was selected as part of the under-19 South African team that will take on some of the best squash players Hong Kong and Malaysia has to offer.
Hayley, a Grade 12 pupil at Collegiate High School and top squash player, will look to make a good impression at the competition, which starts on May 27 and runs to June 10.
She will be representing the national schools’ side for the first time and says she cannot wait to go overseas and compete.
“I was so excited when I got the call up and a bit nervous too, because you play against strong players from other countries, but mostly excited because you get to meet new people.”
Hayley first stared playing the sport in Grade 3 and says her motivation was her family, with all of them play- ing the sport at some stage in their lives. Her talent was evident as she got a call up to the provincial squash team the very next year.
Since then, she has been a regular in teams across all age divisions. At Collegiate, she has been playing since Grade 8, twice ending the season in the number one spot.
Hayley has two coaches. Greg la Mude is her coach in a private capacity, with whom she been working for the past year and a half.
Her coach at school is Wendy Theron, who she has been working with since Grade 8.
“She has definitely brought a lot more stability to my game, she taught me how to be calm on court and also figure out which serves need to be used in relation to the match situation,” Hayley said.
She says the support she has received from friends and family is what has kept her going.
“Without them, especially my parents, I would not be where I am today . . . so I cannot thank them enough for everything I have achieved.”