#jonathon power

[squashplayermagazine]

Power backing lifts World Series Finals

Power, 39, is title sponsor for the Finals, having set up Power Courts with a business partner, and the Canadian believes that with the recent interest in squash in North America the “timing was just right.”

“Squash is really beginning to develop here and there is an opportunity for a boom,” said the former world no.1. “Building courts is a big part of developing squash and it fits in with my current model. We want to bring squash to the people.

“The opportunity came along to sponsor the event and it is a great opportunity to give something back to the game. It is fun for me to be in a position to do this.”

Through Power’s personality and bulging contacts’ book from his playing days, his new venture – which fits in alongside his summer camps – was one he always likely to pursue. The company has six types of build, from leisure, glass, flexi and renovation courts.

Much of the business comes from the private sector in the US, and as most of the courts are panelled in Canada, Power sees an opportunity to upgrade the facilities. “There will be a big squash boom in the next five years in the US,” predicts Power.

The lure of the court also holds appeal for Power. The 1999 world champion still spends time playing exhibitions throughout the Americas and last year played 15 one-off events.  “I still get the face time and get on the court,” he says. “I am a squash player after all.

His next port of call will be the Legends of Squash series in Aberdeen, which follows immediately after the World Series Finals. He can’t wait to resume rivalry with the likes of Peter Nicol too.

For now, the serious business is making sure the end-of-season finals -  an event that Power won twice, in 2003 and 2005 -run smoothly. If it does, then Power Courts will look into sponsoring other events in North America.

“It was a function of timing and everything coming together at the right time,” Power says of the title sponsorship.

“There is definitely opportunity for sponsorship. We will take it one step at a time and see what happens.”

[squashsite]

With the interview out of the way, Sam Cornett invites an out-of-shape reporter to a pick-up game of squash and laughs as he chases down impossibly hard-to-get shots around the deceptively small court.

Sadistic streak aside, Cornett is pretty friendly and seems like a regular 22-year-old, not giving any hints she’s actually Canada’s top-ranked female squash player.

[squashplayermagazine]

Helping Pakistan's Maria Toor Pakay is only the start - Power

The Canadian is currently coaching Pakistan’s top female player Maria Toor Pakay and has travelled to Islamabad for the Asian Individual Championships.

Pakay, who hails from a Taliban area of Pakistan, hit the headlines earlier this year when she revealed that she once dressed as a boy to compete in a weightlifting tournament as a junior.

Power believes she will also hit the top of the rankings in the next few years and wants to continue that success by working with more Pakistani juniors.

“I’m looking to train more players from Pakistan because I want to help the country which has given so much to squash,” Power told The Express Tribune.

“If the PSF is ready, we can talk about it and I’ll make it very affordable for them.”

[squashplayermagazine]

A long rivalry: Peter Nicol v Jonathon Power

Although I had several rivalries over the course of my career, the one that was the longest and most challenging was with Jonathon Power. Most people remember this rivalry well because of the fact we were so different – personality, style, physicality, racket skills, etc. However, under all the differences there were similarities – especially the desire to win!

There’s no getting away from the fact that Jonathon’s racket work was superior to mine and there were occasions he ran me around the court until I could no longer keep going – unusual for me. His understanding of where to put the ball was impressive and once he had you under pressure in a rally, you were very unlikely to get back into it. It wasn’t all about his deception; his basic game and ball placement were very impressive.

Saying that, Jonathon’s ability to hold his swing and hit late and low meant that he was constantly stopping me on the T before releasing the shot. When the majority of players adopt this style, the resulting shot is normally not quite as good and therefore there is a balance between hitting in a rhythm and holding with deception. With Jonathon, there was no difference, meaning he got the benefit of the hold whilst still hitting a great shot, almost every time when on form.

One area that was never really mentioned with Jonathon was his immaculate length. This set up the opportunities for him then to use his racket skills to put on more pressure. As with other skilled racket players, their length is still vital to their being able to play the expansive, expressive game we know them for.

One area I felt I had an advantage over Jonathon was mentally. If I could compete with him for the T and not let him control the game, there was always the chance of mistakes and self-doubt creeping into his game.

Although I saw this as a minor weakness, Jonathon’s desire and will to win made it incredibly difficult to get him to this point regularly and one good rally or even a quality shot would give him the boost to regain his composure.

Leading on from the mental side of the game, I have to talk a little about Jonathon’s expressive nature on court.

When I was younger and we were in full battle, I found his tantrums and outbursts infuriating. They’d disrupt play, confuse the referee and sometimes make me lose concentration. It was exasperating.

With a few years to reflect and no longer having that rivalry, I appreciate the way Jonathon was fully invested emotionally on court and whatever he felt, came out.

Not easy to play against, but I believe it was always an honest reflection of how he felt.

We now play regularly on the Legends of Squash Tour and although the matches adhere to the same pattern of play and the desire to win is as strong as ever, the aggression had dissipated.

The result is we both enjoy being on court, battling without the pressures of being professional players. If you get a chance to watch Jonathon play before he stops for good, make sure you take opportunity!

Read the pdf of the Squash Player original

[pritheworld]

Maria Toorpakai posed as a boy in order to be allowed to play squash in her native Pakistan. Here how she ended up leaving her country, and training in Canada with squash great Jonathon Power: http://ow.ly/jgcFP

Have you ever felt boxed in by gender roles? What did you do about it?