2022 Chairman’s Report
Welcome back to in person meetings!
I am pleased to have you all back in person sitting at the tables in front of me. This past year we have gone from having to wear masks and restricted numbers at venues to no more masks and venues opening fully. 2022 was a busy year full of tournaments, events and leagues. I would personally like to thank my committee, clubs and volunteers that contributed to making this year an extremely successful year.
Tournament Highlights
2022 Balwin JHB Closed Squash Tournament
Men’s Winner: David Sibanda
Ladies’ Winner: Jennifer Preece
2022 Assore Balwin Joburg Open
PSA Men’s Winner: Dewald van Niekerk
PSA Ladies’ Winner: Cheyna Wood
Marking & Refereeing
This year Shelley Manning conducted Marking & Refereeing Refresher Courses at all clubs in Joburg Squash. The courses were restricted to 1 hour and were introduced to update players on any changes to the rules of squash that may have occurred over the past few years. Bonus points were given to teams that attended the course to incentivise players to attend. I personally think that this is a great initiative and should continue into the future.
Growthpoint IPT Report 2022
This year Joburg Squash had four teams representing in the Growthpoint IPT held in East London from 11 – 15 July. The squash consisted of 22 players making up two ladies’ and two men’s sides. The squad performed well and pulled off admirable results. The men’s B Side finished second, losing only to an incredibly strong SACD B side and beating a couple of provinces A sides, including Free State and Border A. The ladies B performed well finishing second in their division with the Men’s A coming in third and Ladies’ A coming fourth.
Special mention must be made to these players for their outstanding individual performances.
Cheyna wood winning five out of five matches as the Ladies number 1 and making the “best of the
rest” team. Dean Nortier for winning four out of five matches at A 4. Mark Dunn for going unbeaten at B 1 and David Sibanda for winning the most improved player award. We had a young squad this year including two junior players, Josh Deutschmann and Dio Mkhize, who held their own against more experienced players. The future of the Joburg Squash squad looks bright and we look forward to even greater results next year.
Joburg Squash League
The 2022 Joburg Squash season saw 20 clubs competing in 7 Men’s leagues. Unfortunately the clubs could not put together full Ladies teams and so an individual league was formed comprising 3 divisions with about 45 ladies competing at various central venues.
The Mens League team numbers increased in number from the previous year by 7 teams to 74 teams in total.
The Ladies’ played individual round robins playing at different clubs with 45 ladies’ participating in the league. We are hoping to revert back to having Ladies’ Leagues Teams in 2023.
Joburg Masters Squash Report for the Joburg Squash AGM | November 2022
JMS has had a successful year to date, with squash returning to “normal”. The committee resumed its core mandate which is to encourage, promote, develop and administer squash amongst Masters’ squash players, underpinned by sound business and financial principles.
Membership:
JMS membership continues to remain constant at approximately 215 players.
Masters league:
JMS league (1st to 5th league), which is played on a Thursday evening, consisted of 31 teams, which is a reduction compared to previous years. A new format was piloted for 1st league which saw 18 players participating on an individual basis, with points scored per club. We will continue with this format into 2023 and hope to grow the number of players participating.
Interprovincial tournaments:
SA Masters Singles IPT was hosted by JMS this year. 24 teams participated in the event with Joburg A placing 1st and Joburg C, placing 2nd in the A section.
We have one event left on the Masters calendar, namely the SA Masters Doubles IPT scheduled to take place from 9 to 12 November 2022 in Gqeberha. A total of 49 players will be participating in this event which is sure to be very successful.
JMS Doubles Tournaments:
JMS Doubles tournaments continue to be very popular. Tournaments were held at Chamber, Randburg and Country Club Johannesburg.
World Masters:
Congratulations to Christo Potgieter who placed 1st and Paul Atkinson who placed 3rd at World Masters held in Poland in their respective age-groups.
Financial Performance:
Financially, JMS continues to remain in a stable position.
Social Media
Social media remains my passion. Please forgive me if I spam you but someone once said to me that ‘Squash was dead’. The only reason why squash was dead in his mind was because he did not know what was going on. I then made it my goal to ensure that everyone knows what is going on a daily basis. Joburg Squash now has an active website, Facebook page, Twitter account and WhatsApp league rep group. We are also able to send mass emails to all players if the need arises.
Finances
Our finances have improved this past year thanks to 95% of all clubs paying their league fees. Without this payment Joburg Squash would not be able to survive. Roland Skinner will give his report during the committee meeting.
Egoli Squash
Egoli Squash continues to do amazing work promoting and developing squash throughout the community. You can see the fruits of their labour when you travel to the junior and senior tournaments. A large percentage of the current and former Egoli players now represent Joburg Squash at senior and junior provincial levels. I would like to thank Sharon Sibanda, Dikana Mthombeni, coaches, sponsors and all of the people in the background that help make this such a great programme. Please contact Egoli Squash if you are able to contribute to this programme in any way possible.
After 2 years as Chairman I have decided not to stand as Chairman for re-election. These past 2 years have been an interesting experience. I would like to thank my committee and all of the clubs in the Joburg area for helping to keep squash alive and well. However, you have not heard the last of me as I will still be assisting Joburg Squash on an administrative basis if the need arises.
Thanks for the great memories!
Gary Plumstead
Joburg Squash Chairman
Win the last point!
Joburg Squashers,
AGM Report 2021: 24 November 2021
This has been my first year as Chairman of Joburg Squash and has definitely been an interesting one with the ongoing Covid-19 Pandemic in South Africa. However, with the commitment of the Joburg Squash Committee (Jeannie Holden included) we were able to able to keep squash on the map and ensured that major events continued throughout this pandemic ridden year which made my job easy.
Special mention must be given to the following committees which ensured that tournaments ran smoothly; finances and budgets were kept on track and leagues continued throughout the year.
Joburg Junior Squash Committee
Joburg Masters Squash Committee
Egoli Squash Committee
Jarvis Squash Committee
Joburg Squash Committee
Jeannie Holden (Joburg Squash Secretary)
Joburg Squash was able to host a number of tournaments in 2021. Listed below are some of the events that took place throughout the year involving Joburg Squash and their players.
Assore Balwin Parkview Open PSA Closed Satellite
Joburg Closed
Assore/ Balwin Joburg Open
Ironman 4 x 4 PSA Closed Satellite
Growthpoint IPT
Joburg Squash Men 4th
Joburg Squash Ladies 3rd
SA Schools’ IPT
Results
Joburg Squash U16A Boys 1st
Joburg Squash U16B Boys 1st
Joburg Squash U19B Boys 1st
SA Nationals
Christo Potgieter Runner-Up
Results
GPCE PSA Satellite Tournament
Please feel free to contact Joburg Squash if you are looking at hosting a tournament in 2022.
Men’s League Results
First League
1 Country Club Johannesburg A (242)
2 Randburg A (209)
Reserve League
1 Country Club Johannesburg B (213)
2 Bryanston Sports Club B (204)
Second League
1 Randburg C (219)
2 Western Rackets B (212)
Third League
1 Modderfontein C (252)
2 Western Rackets C (241)
Fourth League
1 Northcliff A (202)
2 Modderfontein D (182)
Fifth League
1 Modderfontein F (213)
2 Country Club Johannesburg D (209)
Sixth League
1 Wanderers E (222)
2 Jeppe Quondam B (209)
Ladies’ League Results
1A
1 Khanyile Sape (14)
2 Sarah Quick (12)
3 Heather Wilkinson (12)
2A
1 Michelle Staal (27)
2 Annie Allen (25)
CLUB AND INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Dean Nortje wins the Chris Grainger Trophy- Best Individual Men 1st League Performance
Sheldon Erasmus – Adrian Hoffman- Contribution to Jarvis
Ray Dlamini – Graham Prior Trophy- Coach of the Year
Rachel Shannon- Keith Grainger – Junior & Sportsmanship
Khanyile Rape- Committee Award – Innovation and Development towards the Game
Country Club JHB – CALLAGHAN TROPHY- Club with Best Overall League Performance
Eric Meano- Considerable Contribution to Squash- Jeannie Holden
Finances
Due to the lockdowns and the continuation of Covid-19 2021 has been another tough year for our finances however; we have managed to keep our head above water. We will be looking at improving our financial situation in 2022.
Growthpoint IPT Report 2021
Ladies’:
The ladies team performed admirably placing 3rd against far more experienced teams and players.
Men’s:
It was decided to take a squad of 8 for the men to avoid injuries and blood some of the younger players. Final position 4th.
Marking & Refereeing
With no thanks to Covid-19 restrictions, not much emphasis has been put on M&R the last 18 months or so. And as such, there is a definite need to ensure all squash participants across Joburg are conversant with the rules and adhere to a standard of competency. We have plans in the pipeline to help improve Marking & Refereeing at Joburg Squash and will communicate these to everyone in the near future.
Egoli Squash
JS would also like to congratulate Egoli squash for their strong development programme.
Their players have really grown and developed over the past few years and now contribute more than 50% of players to our Junior and Senior Interprovincial teams. For more information on Egoli Squash’s excellent programmes and on how to get involved please visit their Website and Facebook Page.
Joburg Junior Squash
The highlight for all squash players is to represent their Province at the Inter Provincial tournaments. This year this event was separated into the North and South as we had to limit the numbers at each event. JJS hosted the Northern event and I would like to thank Irene and Simone for all their hard work in putting this event together. It was no easy task and they did a great job.
SA SCHOOLS MERIT SQUAD: Joburg Junior Squash Players
Due to Covid, SA Schools Squash were unable to enforce selection criteria for Top 10 ranking. However, it was decided to announce a merit squad and an emerging player’s squad.
Congratulations to the following players who have been included in the SA School Merit Squad.
Julia Anderson Girls U14
Emma Shannon Girls U16
Rachel Shannon Girls U19
Daniel Deutschmann Boys U14
Joshua Shannon Boys U14
John Anderson Boys U16
Joshua Deutschmann Boys U16
Diodivine Mkhize Boys U16
Nathaniel Ndebele Boys U19
Congratulations to Muzi Buthelezi U19 on being included in the SA School Emerging Players Squad.
Joburg Masters Squash
The JMS Masters league returned on Thursdays from 18 March. 2021 saw 5 leagues and hosting 39 teams. We also manage to host three very successful JMS Doubles fundraising tournaments throughout the year. These proved to be very popular, and we will continue to run these tournaments in 2022, with the aim of hosting four events in 2022.
Jeannie Holden
Jeannie Holden (Joburg Squash Secretary) has let me know that she will be leaving Joburg Squash at the end of the year. I would like to thank Jeannie, on behalf of everyone, for all of the hard work that she has put into Joburg Squash over the years.
Thanks for the great memories.
Please look after yourselves during the festive season and I look forward to seeing you all back on the squash court in 2022.
Regards,
Gary Plumstead
Fellow Squash Players,
Joburg Squash 2021
Joburg Squash would like to welcome you all back on the squash court in 2021 during these tough Covid-19 times. The Joburg Squash Committee met last night and we are all eager to get league up and running ASAP. We are planning to start league towards the end of March/ beginning of April. However, before we make any solid commitments we wait for our President’s next speech in the middle of February 2021. We will do our best to allow for the Lockdown restrictions when scheduling the squash fixtures. Please start canvassing your players to see who is available to play in the league in 2021. We are also thinking about starting a Joburg Squash Doubles League. Please let us know if your club would be interested in entering a team or teams into the league.
In 2021 all players participating in Joburg Squash League or Joburg Squash Tournaments must be registered with Squash South Africa. All information regarding Joburg Squash can be found on the following Social Media Platforms:
Website: http://www.joburgsquash.co.za/
Website: http://www.gautengsquash.co.za/
Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/SquashJoburg
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoburgSquash
WhatsApp Squash Updates: Message 073 791-2851 to join
Your Joburg Squash Committee servicing squash in and around Johannesburg.
Chairman
Gary Plumstead
Email: gplumstead@gmail.com
Cell: O73 791-2851
Treasurer
Roland Skinner
Email: rjs@mysoft.co.za
Cell: O82 575-3597
Work: O11 447-4877
Administrator
Jeannie Holden
Email: gautengsq@worldonline.co.za
Cell: O83 661-6482
Work: O86 010-4445
League Rep.
John Shannon
Email: teamshannon@polka.co.za
Cell: 079 528-4441
Coaching/ Development
Dikana Mthombeni
Email: dikanasquash@gmail.com
Admin Dev.
Sharon Sibanda
Email: sharon@egolisquash.co.za
Cell: O60 503-0296
Work: O11 886-1740
Jarvis / Kaplan Cup & Tournaments
Sheldon Erasmus
Email: Sheldonje@gmail.com
Schools
Angie Clifton-Parks
Email: angelique@angelent.co.za
Cell: 082 372-1265
Masters
Paul Vermaak
Email:
Cell:
Social Media
Gary Plumstead
Email: gplumstead@gmail.com
Cell: 073 791-2851
Squash South Africa has worked incredibly hard to enable us all to be able to play squash again and I urge you all to follow the Squash SA Covid-19 Return to Play Squash Regulations which can be found on their website: https://www.squashsa.co.za/
To that end, and for clarity, please take note of the following:
Announcement | Return to Level 3* Lockdown
Current Permitted Activities
League play is permitted, pending sanction and approval by the provincial body in your area (please note, the local hotspot conditions, and enacted Risk Assessments, by your committees may mean that no league (or variations, thereof are permitted). Please follow up with your Provincial Body.
Tournaments are permitted with a maximum of 50 persons or less (including staff) in a venue, assuming all players are registered with Squash SA (SportyHQ, register here), AND the club is approved to open under Level 3, or higher – you can check this list to see if your club is approved www.squashsa.co.za/covid-19/clubs/.
Club leagues, closed leagues, etc are permitted, pending the club only operates at 50% capacity, or a max of 50ppl, at any given time.
Doubles is permitted, although we strongly caution against this, owing to the obvious higher risk to the individuals.
As above, your Province/ Club may disallow doubles, based on the current risks in your area.
The onus is on you, to check with that body, before playing.
Criteria to continue play/ training and coaching
ALL Players and Coaches need to be:
Registered with their respective club AND province (including being in good standing).
Registered with Squash South Africa (SportyHQ), up to and including this year 31 March 2021 (R120pp), thereafter R150 pp. Please check if you’re registered. You can click through from the Squash SA website, main page. Look for the Player Registration button on the main page/ banner.
Masks must be worn at all times, if you show any symptoms of COVID, seek medical advice, and avoid the clubs for 10 days, or as advised by a medical practitioner.
A full register must be completed accurately on entering the club, with temperature checks, etc.
All Venues need to:
Make sure all hygiene protocols are being followed, and the facilities are being cleaned.
Access controls are used (screening and registers), to ensure only members and/or authorised persons enter AND can be traced.
Sanitizer is available at all times, for persons entering and using the venue.
Player bookings have to be used, and no “hanging around” at the club, before or after your games.
Non-Permitted Activities
Bar/ Restaurants can only operate per their regulated permissions
Change rooms are not permitted to open
Toilets, only in the case of an emergency
Curfews, as per national criteria (9 pm to 5 am)
Play is voluntary, and it remains your responsibility to be safe and compliant with all National and Local rules and regulations.
Please do not hesitate to contact the committee should you need any further information.
I look forward to seeing you all on the squash court.
Regards,
Gary Plumstead
Joburg Squash Chairman