Squash is war with racquets. Seeing two young girls battling it out like knights of old, sparring with each other until sweat pours down the court, is awe inspiring.
During the 2010 Mpumalanga Junior Squash Championships hosted at Van Riebeeck Park last weekend, more than 100 young warriors descended on the Lowveld. The courts of Nelspruit and White River were filled with determined players fighting for the honours.
"It’s been about eight years since these champs were hosted in Nelspruit, and numbers have virtually doubled since then," says Vanessa Christensen, chairman of Lowveld Squash. She adds that children from all over Mpumalanga were entered in age groups u/11 to u/19, the latter being the largest group. "Most of those from the Lowveld were entered in the younger age groups, with the u/13s especially, showing strong growth in this area."
Play started on Saturday morning after registration and a welcoming address by
Su Carter, chairman of the association. The young but talented players were then allocated courts per their age groups and depending on numbers entered, played round robins, swiss pairing and cross-pool play-offs.
"Each player was assured at least five matches over the course of the weekend," said Christensen. Play continued on Sunday morning with the prize-giving and announcement of Mpumalanga teams after the last final at lunchtime - 18 teams were chosen to represent Mpumalanga at the SA Country Schools Squash Festival in Bloemfontein in April.
Christensen says that the province has by far the largest group at this tournament, and normally takes first place in a number of age groups. Of the 62 players chosen, a record 32 are from the Lowveld, proving beyond a doubt that squash is becoming a popular choice for the youngsters.
The u/13 boys A team is made up entirely of Lowvelders, as are the u/13 girls A and B teams.  "Squash provides a fast workout, requiring quick thinking, is played out of the harsh South African sun and to top it all, provides a lot of fun and camaraderie among the players," Christensen concludes.