Johannesburg – South Africa’s leading players Hayley Ward and Dewald van Niekerk will face a strong international challenge when the Assore series resumes at Parkview Squash Centre in Johannesburg this week.
The Assore Classic, which features both men’s and women’s events, boasts a combined prize fund of R341 000, making it one of the most significant competitions on the South African squash calendar.
A strong Egyptian contingent will add an international flavour to the event, headed by Seif Tamer, ranked 110th in the world, and Menna Walid, who is currently No 79 in the women’s rankings.
They will provide formidable opposition for top seeds Ward (Eastern Province) and Van Niekerk (SA Country Districts), who are ranked 64th and 79th respectively in the world.
Among the SA players, 2026 Growthpoint SA Nationals men’s champion Damian Groenewald (Northerns) and provincial colleague Helena Hudson will be eager to make an impression as well.
Van Niekerk, who has been competing on the PSA Tour since 2022, welcomed the opportunity for South African players to test themselves against overseas opposition on home soil.
“The development and benefits for squash players are amazing, and the fact that we are having tournaments with prize funds of $6 000 and higher has a massive impact on the development of the sport,” Van Niekerk said.
“It benefits the PSA players a lot because there are more opportunities to earn ranking points, but it is also a huge advantage for players who are not regularly competing on the PSA Tour to get the opportunity to play in these tournaments.
“The bigger the tournaments, the more points you can earn, so there is a huge benefit in terms of developing your ranking and your squash.
“The intensity is higher when more players come from overseas to hunt ranking points, and that is a massive benefit for all the South African players.”
For Van Niekerk, the presence of international players also provides an opportunity to experience different playing styles and learn from opponents who might otherwise only be encountered when travelling abroad.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge. It’s nice to have events which include overseas players because often when I play abroad, I am the overseas player in those tournaments,” Van Niekerk said.
“It’s great to have a local event where overseas players come to our country to compete.
“I know some of the players are very excited to come here and to experience our country.
“It’s also about the exposure you get from playing different types of players.
“Not every squash player is the same – they have different techniques and different ways of approaching the game – and it’s good for the younger players to learn from them.
“One of the things that helps you develop quickly is observing what higher-ranked players do, how they approach games and how they prepare mentally and physically.
“You don’t necessarily want to copy everything another player does, but it’s good to observe them and take the things that might work for you.”
Van Niekerk said the Assore series, which presented a schedule of tournaments at different levels during the year, had become an important part of the development of South African squash.
“Assore have been an incredible sponsor of this series, and I’m really grateful for that,” he said.
“They are not only helping players who are starting out but also those PSA players who have been on the Tour for a while.
“It’s incredible to see how squash is growing through events like these, and hopefully it continues going forward.
“Craig van der Wath has done a wonderful job in staging these tournaments, and I’m very excited for this one.”
Ward, who claimed her first Growthpoint SA Nationals title this year, will also have to be at her best against a strong international field.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge, and although my world ranking might be a bit higher than some of the others, I know that the Egyptians are formidable players and it will be a tough week of squash,” she said.
The EP player took a short break after her nationals triumph but is now ready to return to competitive action as she builds towards a busy end to the season.
“I had to take a short break after the Growthpoint Nationals, and I’m looking forward to getting back into the swing of things, with a few other tournaments coming up before the end of the year,” explained Ward.
With substantial ranking points on offer and a mixture of established South African players, rising local talent and international competitors, the Assore series promises another important week for the development of the sport in the country.
This event will be followed by a second tournament with the same status from October 20 to 24.
Spearheaded by the Northerns pair of Helena Hudson and Damian Groenewald, South Africa’s top players are relishing the opportunity to test themselves against the world’s best when they 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.
One of the priorities is to provide the country’s elite players with as much exposure 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.
However, Ward is not available for the world event due to personal reasons, and 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,” Groenewald said.
“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.”
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,” she 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 to 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,” he 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.”
The South African teams will now enter a period of focused preparation ahead of their departure for South Korea in December.
