In squash - The Podcast

Saurav Ghosal, at the age of 36, is playing some of the best squash of his PSA career. 2021/22 was one of his best seasons, if not his best, with impressive results throughout the year including a TOC semi final appearance and earning the bronze medal at Commonwealth Games. He's also taken on the role of PSA's Men's President from his predecessor Ali Farag. We flesh out about all of the above and then some.

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Nouran Gohar just completed one of the most impressive season's of squash in recent memory: reaching the final of every PSA event on her 2021/22 calendar, finishing the year as world #1 and earning PSA Player of the Year honors. Nouran is box office each time she steps on the court, and she's a big reason why so many of us can't wait for the start of the 2022/23 season. Nouran looks back on her best year of squash to date, her recent run of training, the unfortunate incident in the Tour Final event v. Hania El Hammamy, and how excited she is about women's squash heading into the new season.

There's a new podcast in town, 32 episodes deep; The Rally Report. Sean Choi, former Wesleyan University #1 got the podcast ball rolling last November, and he hasn't looked back. It was great to compare notes with Sean in terms of our respective pod experiences, but the squash talk was the highlight. Sean and I fleshed out growing the game, the unique Korean squash scene, squash media and our PSA thoughts, both last season and for 2022/23.

It's that time of year, about a month before most of our squash seasons commence. With that, it goes without saying that we'd ask Gary Nisbet to drop by, and he did so with some pure gold. Gary's been busy this summer putting together a squash training camp with CWG gold medalist Gina Kennedy, and he takes us through that and his thoughts on Gina's unparalleled strength and condition. Gary provides some tremendous insight on how we ought to be ramping up for the squash season which lies ahead, and we get into circuit training ideas, nutrition, and the benefits of sleep and creatine supplements. Another glorious ep with SquashSkills own Gary Nisbet.

It's that time of year, about a month before most of our squash seasons commence. With that, it goes without saying that we'd ask Gary Nisbet to drop by, and he did so with some pure gold. Gary's been busy this summer putting together a squash training camp with CWG gold medalist Gina Kennedy, and he takes us through that and his thoughts on Gina's unparalleled strength and condition. Gary provides some tremendous insight on how we ought to be ramping up for the squash season which lies ahead, and we get into circuit training ideas, nutrition, and the benefits of sleep and creatine supplements. Another glorious ep with SquashSkills own Gary Nisbet.

When SquashSkills launched 10 years ago, it was a long overdue and much needed resource for the squash world, and I'm not overstating that. Jethro Binns returns to the pod to mark the 10 year anniversary and fleshes out some incredible new SquashSkills resources (including the new SquashSkills Training App) for players of all levels, coaches and squash management. We go well beyond that though, as Jethro loves to talk squash. We touch on the several aspects of the game today, the Commonwealth Games, growing the game, junior squash and much more.

Fresh off her 3rd Canadian National championship in Vancouver, Hollie received the news that she'd been selected, not surprisingly so, to represent Canada at the upcoming Birmingham Commonwealth Games. It may have been a foregone conclusion, but after not having been chosen in 2018, it must have felt great to receive that phone call. Hollie and I talk about winning her third national title, the excitement of playing the Commonwealth Games and going for a medal, training under Malcolm Willstrop and the Pontefract stable, and her assessment of the 2021/22 season.

At her highest ever world ranking of 43, Nicole Bunyan's 2021/22 campaign is about to come to a glorious ending: representing Canada at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Nicole takes us through a bit of her backstory, and the 2021/22 season which saw her in the main draw of several major tournaments. She also lays out her Squashletic squash fitness app (https://www.nicolebunyan.com/squashletic) which has it all if you're looking for expert squash fitness guidance. Great chat!!

Photo credit: Corina Lynn

This episode drops on Canada Day, and Nick Sachvie joins us to celebrate accordingly. The 2X Canadian National Champion received the news a few weeks ago that he'd been chosen to represent Canada at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Only the Canadian women were chosen to take part in 2018 in Australia, so the wait was a long one, but definitely worth it. Nick talks about the Games coming up, his preparations, the 2022 Canadian Nationals in Vancouver, training at White Oaks Niagara-on-the-Lake, the ups and downs of his PSA career and his father the late great Mark Sachvie. Great catching up with the two time national champion.

Qamar Zaman is one of the all time greats; that's a given. Winner of the 1975 British Open and reaching world #1 in that same year, Zaman was truly the pioneer of shot making squash. He turned the game on its head and his contemporaries had to rethink squash strategy as a result. Not only that, Zaman combined this pioneering shot making with a sense of humor which made him the box office player of his day. Qamar talks about the great battles with the likes of Geoff Hunt, Gogi Allaudin, Jonah Barrington and many of the other legends of his time. We also look at the his unique brand of squash, how it came to be and how he had to develop the other more conventional parts of the game that may have been lacking. Qamar also provides some not to be missed words of wisdom for anyone out there looking to improve their games. It was an absolute honor to speak with the great Qamar Zaman.