Squash coaching school planned

Press, 13 June 1978, Page 30

Squash coaching school planned

Ballins Industries’ support of squash did not end with the successful completion of the first international challenge series in New Zealand at the week-end. Close on the heels of the $2500 series will be a coaching school, to be run through the New Zealand Souash Rackets Association, probably in Wellington. Plans for the school are at present being formulated by the New Zealand office of Mark McCormack’s Inter- • national Management Group, i which acts as sports consultant for Ballins.

The group’s New Zealand vice-president (Mr Jack UrIwin) said in Christchurch yesterday that the school would be held either before the New Zealand Open late in the season or in Januarv before the European circuit begins. “We will ask the Associ-

ation to pick eight to 10 promising lads under 15 or 16 plus some seasoned players for a week or so of in-

tensive coaching,” he said. The coaching will be done by the world-ranked New Zealand professionals, Bruce Brownlee (No. 6) and Murray Lilley (No. 15), who are contracted to Ballins for three years (from last October) through an agreement with I.M.G. Brownlee won the $750 second prize in the eightmatch Ballins series with th j Pakistani stars, Hiddy Jahan and Torsam Khan, while Lilley colllected SSOO after beating Torsam in five games after an 82-min playoff for third.

Mr Urlwin said that he had already spoken to Hiddy about the world-ranked nlayers likely to be available to come to New Zealand for a

> similar series at the same • tunc tiext jvui'. “No players have been specifically approached but ■ we are looking at all sorts of

blokes. Jonah Barrington (Ireland) conies to mind; he would be ideal as he gives a brilliant on-court talk. “We are also thinking of Qamar Zaman — a tremendous personality and squash player — and Gogi Alauddin. They are the sort of people we are looking at,” said Mr Urlwin. Zaman is ranked second in the world behind the Australian. Geoff Hunt, while his fellow Pakistani, Gogi, has the No. 5. spot at present — in between Hiddy and Brownlee. “We basically intend to be

in squash for some time. Ballins really want to do something for the sport,” Mr Urlwin said.