Cheongju – Spearheaded by the Northerns pair Helena Hudson and Damian Groenewald, South Africa’s top players are ready to test themselves against the world’s best.
The pair will compete in the World Squash Federation World Team Championships in South Korea in December.
The prestigious event takes place in Cheongju from December 14 to 19, with South Africa entering both men’s and women’s teams as the country looks to strengthen its position on the international squash stage.
The trip will give South Africa’s elite players exposure as much as possible with an eye on the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028 when squash will be part of the sporting extravaganza for the first time.
SA No. 1 and Growthpoint SA Nationals champion Hayley Ward will not be available for the world event due to personal reasons.
Hudson, one of the country’s emerging players, will head the women’s three-player team. She will be joined by Western Province’s Kim McDonald and Keschia Schlebusch, of SA Country Districts.
The men’s line-up will comprise four players, with Damian Groenewald being joined by his brother Luhann, also from Northerns, SA Country Districts’ Dewald van Niekerk and John Anderson, of Joburg Squash.
The teams will be coached by JP Brits in the men’s section and Richard Castle in the women’s competition.
For Damian Groenewald, the trip to South Korea will be his third World Team Championships appearance after representing South Africa in New Zealand and Hong Kong.
He knows the tournament will present a major test, particularly for a relatively young South African squad.
“It’s quite a young team, and it’s difficult at events like that because the pressure is quite high to perform for your country,” said the 2026 Growthpoint SA Nationals champion.
“You’re not just playing for yourself – you’re playing for your country – and if you end up playing teams of similar strength, the competition is very high.
“But the exposure you get when you play teams like Egypt and England, and get to play top players, is such a good experience for us South Africans who don’t get to travel a lot.”
The tournament format will also test the players’ physical and mental endurance, with teams potentially facing six demanding matches over the course of the event.
“Even though it’s just one match a day, by day five or six it is hard,” Groenewald said.
“But we have prepared for that, and we have experience playing team events like the Growthpoint Jarvis-Kaplan interprovincial tournament, so that does help.”
Groenewald is also encouraged by the cohesion within the squad, which includes his brother as well as close friend Van Niekerk.
“We have quite a young team, but we all click,” said Groenewald .
“There is good cohesion between my brother and Dewald, one of my best friends, plus John, so I’m looking forward to seeing how we will click together.
“These events are always hard, and we will have to be at our best, but we have a window now to prepare and train hard, and I’m sure we will be ready when it comes.”
The 22-year-old said the priority would be to produce performances that the country could be proud of.
“We want to go in and focus on good performances and make South Africa proud. That will be the big priority for us,” he said.
Hudson, meanwhile, will be attending her second world championships after competing in Hong Kong in 2024.
“That was a wonderful experience, with fantastic squash and extremely high levels of play,” Hudson recalled.
“It was amazing seeing the top players in the world in real life all at the same venue!
“As it was my first time, my main goal was to play my hardest in every match, give it my all, and represent the SA flag well.
“As far as preparation goes, we are obviously facing the strongest players in the world, so lots of training, sharpening of skills, and fitness prep will go into getting ready for the event.
“I’m excited for this event as I feel that my game has improved significantly since the last time I went.
“I enjoy playing against players who I’ve never played before and who are ranked higher than me, because then you have the underdog advantage and can play without pressure and fight for the win.”
Squash SA president Blaar Coetzee said the national teams formed an important part of the organisation’s plans to rebuild the country’s international competitiveness.
“Squash South Africa’s goal is to get South Africa back to a more competitive position in world squash,” Coetzee said.
“We are confident that these two teams will lay a strong foundation for us to build on.
“We will continue to create opportunities for our players to get the exposure necessary to improve and support them as much as possible.
“By putting structures and pathways in place for them to develop, we hope to attract the best athletes to the sport.
“With commitment and hard work, our players can not only compete with but eventually beat the best in the world. Ultimately, we want to see our players as squash Olympic champions in the future.”
Coetzee said the South African teams will now enter a period of focused preparation ahead of their departure for South Korea in December.
