Sunday, October 30, 2011
Successful comeback for Hanley at Ballinrobe Open
Having played no racquetball for almost all of last season, Patrick Hanley (Fermoy) made a successful re-appearance to the tournament circuit when winning the Men`s Open Singles at the Ballinrobe Open in Ireland last weekend. He defeated Adam Neary of Arklow by 2 games to nil in the final. In the Women's Singles, Donna Ryder (Newport) won by defeating Majella Haverty by 2 games to nil in the final.The Mens Doubles was won by Conor Skehan and Johnny O `Keeney. Other winners were Mark Murphy (Kilkenny) in B/C Singles, Joe Devenney (Queens) - D/Novice Singles, Stevie O`Loan(Queens) - 40+ Singles while the doubles winner were Mike Haverty/Padraic Ryder - C/D/Novice Doubles and Michael Kelly & Joe Glynn -
Dutch Nationals on November 5th in The Hague
Dutch Racquetball will have it's Dutch National Championships on November 5th and 6th in The Hague. Host club will be the Westvliet Fitness & Racket-Club. Competition for offerend for men and women. Entries will be accepted until November 1st. Contact Peter de Jong for further assistance and information at:
info@racquetball.nl
More information on Dutch Racquetball can be found at www.racquetball.nl.
info@racquetball.nl
More information on Dutch Racquetball can be found at www.racquetball.nl.
New club and event in Turkey
A new court and most likely a new tournament on the European Racquetball scene, those are the good news from Turkey at the moment. A new club called Mac-Bebekoy, who also features one racquetball court, has been recently opened in Istanbul. Club owners would like to celebrate their opening with an international racquetball tournament next year. Preperations for the Borsporus Racquetball Open 2011 are now underway. ERF Technical Director Michael Haverty has been asked to evaluate the best date for this new event on the European scene. It is hoped that players from all over Europe will support this first edition of the Bosporus Open next year. More information will be forthcoming.More information on the new club can be found here:
Successful Racquetball and Racketball event in Nanterre
Another Racquetball and Racketball (RB on the Squash court) has been held with great success in Nanterre, France last weekend. "Everybody enjoyed the tournament and we also have seen some great matches on both courts", co-organizer Maxime Bizeau said. Plans for another combined competition are already on the way.
France Racquetball has suffered some very sad court losses over the past 12 months when 3 out of the 4 exisiting courts in the club in Nanterre, close to Paris, were closed out of the sudden due to business decisions by the club owners. While France Racquetball still puts lots of efforts in finding some new opportunities through local governments, the sport is still played on the remaining one court in Nanterre.
More information on France Racquetball and it's efforts can be found at www.france-racquetball.org.
France Racquetball has suffered some very sad court losses over the past 12 months when 3 out of the 4 exisiting courts in the club in Nanterre, close to Paris, were closed out of the sudden due to business decisions by the club owners. While France Racquetball still puts lots of efforts in finding some new opportunities through local governments, the sport is still played on the remaining one court in Nanterre.
More information on France Racquetball and it's efforts can be found at www.france-racquetball.org.
Red Swain Shootout begins in Davison, draws top racquetball players
DAVISON, Michigan — The first International Racquetball Tour stop in Michigan in the last 20 years kicked off Thursday.The Red Swain Shootout, which features 29 top ranked players and more than 100 amateur players, will continue through Sunday at the Davison Athletic Club, 2140 Fairway, in Davison.Proceeds from the event and from an equipment auction will benefit The Angel Fund, which supports those with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease. The tournament is named for Red Swain, father of tournament host and six time champion Cliff Swain, who saw how the disease affected his father.
If you go
THURSDAY: 5 to 7p.m.: Men's round of 64. 8 to 10 p.m.: Men's round of 32
FRIDAY: 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.: professional men’s round of 16; 5:30 to 11 p.m.: professional men’s quarterfinals
SATURDAY: 4 p.m.: professional men’s semifinal No. 1; 5 p.m.: professional men’s semifinal No. 2.
SUNDAY: 12 p.m.: professional men’s finals.
ADMISSION: Day passes are $20 for Thursday; $30 for Friday or Saturday; $20 for Sunday. A weekend package is $50. A VIP package, which includes reserved seating and refreshment room, is $100"It's a win-win," Cliff Swain said of fundraising and promoting the sport in the same event.Racquetball is played in a 40-foot by 20-foot room and can consist of either two single players competing or doubles teams. A match is played to 11 points and players score by winning a rally. The Flint Journal Fans watch the opening match of the Red Swain Racquetball tournament between Eric Desrochers, of Ancaster, Ontario and Jim Bronson of Toledo, Oh. at the Davison Athletic Club Thursday evening. The tournament is back for the first time since last being played in the early 90's.
Tournament director Don Schopieray said organizers hope to make the tournament an annual event. Schopieray's son, Brad, 18, is the 29th ranked player in the world and will be competing.
The sport’s No. 1 player and six-time champion, Kane Waselenchuk, also will compete in Davison, looking to add to his three-year-long 122-match winning streak.The pros will be competing for a share of a $18,500 purse. Amateurs will be competing for a share of $1,500, Schopieray said.Organizers also hope to get others interested in the racquetball, said Tour president Jason Mannino.“If you see it, you can’t help but love it,” Mannino said. “It’s infectious.”
If you go
THURSDAY: 5 to 7p.m.: Men's round of 64. 8 to 10 p.m.: Men's round of 32
FRIDAY: 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.: professional men’s round of 16; 5:30 to 11 p.m.: professional men’s quarterfinals
SATURDAY: 4 p.m.: professional men’s semifinal No. 1; 5 p.m.: professional men’s semifinal No. 2.
SUNDAY: 12 p.m.: professional men’s finals.
ADMISSION: Day passes are $20 for Thursday; $30 for Friday or Saturday; $20 for Sunday. A weekend package is $50. A VIP package, which includes reserved seating and refreshment room, is $100"It's a win-win," Cliff Swain said of fundraising and promoting the sport in the same event.Racquetball is played in a 40-foot by 20-foot room and can consist of either two single players competing or doubles teams. A match is played to 11 points and players score by winning a rally. The Flint Journal Fans watch the opening match of the Red Swain Racquetball tournament between Eric Desrochers, of Ancaster, Ontario and Jim Bronson of Toledo, Oh. at the Davison Athletic Club Thursday evening. The tournament is back for the first time since last being played in the early 90's.
Tournament director Don Schopieray said organizers hope to make the tournament an annual event. Schopieray's son, Brad, 18, is the 29th ranked player in the world and will be competing.
The sport’s No. 1 player and six-time champion, Kane Waselenchuk, also will compete in Davison, looking to add to his three-year-long 122-match winning streak.The pros will be competing for a share of a $18,500 purse. Amateurs will be competing for a share of $1,500, Schopieray said.Organizers also hope to get others interested in the racquetball, said Tour president Jason Mannino.“If you see it, you can’t help but love it,” Mannino said. “It’s infectious.”
Racquetball: IRT Florida Satellite Series - Port Richey
$20 Discount (if you register by this Monday) IRT Florida Satelite Series - Port RicheyDec 9-11Register online: http://www.r2sports.com/tourney/home.asp?TID=8910Questions? Call/text Kim Roy at 603-491-1494 or email kimberly_roy@hotmail.com
Racquetball seeks some attention at Pan American Games, eyes future spot at the Olympics
GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Racquetball is out to prove that it’s more than just a recreational game, and the Pan American Games is a place to do it.
The quadrennial games are one of the biggest events for the sport, and officials say that success in Guadalajara will hopefully increase its popularity and eventually lead to Olympic inclusion.
“When you come to these countries and see the passion, the growth and the competition of it all, it gives our sport more and more hope,” said American player Rocky Carson, ranked No. 2 in the world and a gold medalist in Guadalajara. “As a sport we are not worldwide, we are mainly played in the Americas. The more countries we play, the better the sport gets and the easier it is to create a stronger racquetball.”
Racquetball is most popular in the United States, where nearly 3 million people play the sport mainly at universities and clubs. Mexico and Canada also have a substantial number of participants, and it is growing in Asia, too, but it lacks significant recognition in Europe and Africa.
“This is very important because we can showcase the event to all other countries so people can see what it’s like, and it’s a very exciting sport,” United States team leader Jim Hiser said.
Racquetball’s main goal now is to increase the sport’s popularity across the world so it can start vying for an Olympic spot at the 2020 Games.
“This is probably the greatest event for us in the history of our sport as part of multi-sport games,” International Racquetball Federation President Keith D. Calkins said. “I would like to think that our participation in these games will provide us some momentum to make racquetball a higher profile sport. It’s a slow process, but things are very positive for us.”
Racquetball was out of the 2007 Pan Am Games in Rio de Janeiro after being part of three consecutive games, but it was back in 2011 and will be played again in 2015 in Toronto. It is one of the 30 sports recognized by the International Olympic Committee which are not on the Olympic program.
Calkins said the addition of new courts across the world and the creation of more local federations are key to help the sport develop and try to make it to the Olympics in 2020. He said one of the main challenges is to help the sport grow in Europe, where it was played mainly at U.S. military bases in the 1960s and 70s.
“We will continue to put our best foot forward,” Calkins said. “Events like this are just magnificent, we have to continue working hard.”
The origins of the racquetball date to the 1920s in the United States, making it a relatively young sport compared to tennis and squash. Modern racquetball rules came about around the 1950s, according to Pan Am Games organizers, and were credited to former professional player John Sobek, who wanted an alternative to tennis that could be played indoors.
The Pan Am Games is the top team event for racquetball, but its pro tour is well established and has been doing well, with the top players making more than $100,000.
“It allows me to do what I love and to make a living,” said Carson, who won his first national title when he was 10. “Racquetball has taken care of myself and my family very well. I’m very fortunate to play this sport. I may not make what the top tennis player in the world makes, or what the NBA (players) make, but I feel very fortunate to be where I’m am.”
The quadrennial games are one of the biggest events for the sport, and officials say that success in Guadalajara will hopefully increase its popularity and eventually lead to Olympic inclusion.
“When you come to these countries and see the passion, the growth and the competition of it all, it gives our sport more and more hope,” said American player Rocky Carson, ranked No. 2 in the world and a gold medalist in Guadalajara. “As a sport we are not worldwide, we are mainly played in the Americas. The more countries we play, the better the sport gets and the easier it is to create a stronger racquetball.”
Racquetball is most popular in the United States, where nearly 3 million people play the sport mainly at universities and clubs. Mexico and Canada also have a substantial number of participants, and it is growing in Asia, too, but it lacks significant recognition in Europe and Africa.
“This is very important because we can showcase the event to all other countries so people can see what it’s like, and it’s a very exciting sport,” United States team leader Jim Hiser said.
Racquetball’s main goal now is to increase the sport’s popularity across the world so it can start vying for an Olympic spot at the 2020 Games.
“This is probably the greatest event for us in the history of our sport as part of multi-sport games,” International Racquetball Federation President Keith D. Calkins said. “I would like to think that our participation in these games will provide us some momentum to make racquetball a higher profile sport. It’s a slow process, but things are very positive for us.”
Racquetball was out of the 2007 Pan Am Games in Rio de Janeiro after being part of three consecutive games, but it was back in 2011 and will be played again in 2015 in Toronto. It is one of the 30 sports recognized by the International Olympic Committee which are not on the Olympic program.
Calkins said the addition of new courts across the world and the creation of more local federations are key to help the sport develop and try to make it to the Olympics in 2020. He said one of the main challenges is to help the sport grow in Europe, where it was played mainly at U.S. military bases in the 1960s and 70s.
“We will continue to put our best foot forward,” Calkins said. “Events like this are just magnificent, we have to continue working hard.”
The origins of the racquetball date to the 1920s in the United States, making it a relatively young sport compared to tennis and squash. Modern racquetball rules came about around the 1950s, according to Pan Am Games organizers, and were credited to former professional player John Sobek, who wanted an alternative to tennis that could be played indoors.
The Pan Am Games is the top team event for racquetball, but its pro tour is well established and has been doing well, with the top players making more than $100,000.
“It allows me to do what I love and to make a living,” said Carson, who won his first national title when he was 10. “Racquetball has taken care of myself and my family very well. I’m very fortunate to play this sport. I may not make what the top tennis player in the world makes, or what the NBA (players) make, but I feel very fortunate to be where I’m am.”
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