The WSF Ambassador Programme visit to Ukraine was a ‘dream come true’
for squash in the country said the Ukrainian Squash Federation
President Anastasiia Netrebchuk at the end of an action-packed two-day series of events in the capital Kiev led by Egypt’s three-time world champion Ramy Ashour and France’s British and US Open champion Camille Serme.
Launched in 2011, the World Squash Federation international
promotional initiative takes two leading squash players, together with
an international coach and referee, into younger squash nations to
inspire and help raise the sport’s profile through clinics, exhibition
matches, refereeing and coaching seminars, and media presentations.
Ukrainian players, junior and senior, lined up to play Ashour and Serme at the city’s
Grand Prix club – while Belgian national coach
Ronny Vlassaks
enthused coaches from the length and breadth of Ukraine and Belarus on
the art of coaching, and Slovenian international referee
Marko Podgorsek conducted two well-attended workshops to explain the finer points of refereeing in squash.
It was standing room only at a packed press conference at Grand Prix, where Ukraine Sports Committee President Illia Shevlyak told the media representatives:
“I will do everything I can to support squash in Ukraine.
“Squash and the Olympics is a perfect
fit – I think squash will be in Paris,” added Shevlyak, who oversees the
47 non-Olympic sports in Ukraine. “It’s a very dynamic sport.
“The Ukrainian Squash Federation, which
was only established six years ago, is a brilliant example of what can
be done to promote a sport here.
“I am so happy to see so many journalists here, supporting squash.”
When asked about the sport’s inclusion in the programme for the 2024
Olympic Games in Paris, France’s six-time European champion Camille
Serme said: “If we make it, I hope I will be able to participate – I’ll only be 35!”
Former world number one Ashour, who played a major part in the 2020
campaign, said: “I’d be very happy if we made it – and would be proud to
tell my kids that I helped it happen!”
When asked about his coaching presentations, Vlassaks told the media: “I had 25 coaches in my workshop – which is fantastic!
“You will definitely have a world champion in the future – but
first you’ve got to find him or her, then you’ve got to help them
develop.”
Squash in Ukraine can trace its roots back to 2000 when Anastasiia
Netrebchuk and Semen Lazutenkou both played squash on the country’s sole
court at Kiev Sports Club. So enthusiastic was property developer
Lazutenkou after a visit to Amsterdam in 2008 to support Ukraine’s first
appearance in the European Team Championships that he decided to build
the four-court Grand Prix club.
“Last year was a highlight for
Ukrainian squash as we competed for the first time in the World Games in
Poland,” said Netrebchuk, now the federation’s President. “And now this
year our top junior player Nadiia Usenko has been selected as a
SquashFORWARD ambassador by the WSF.
“And to top it all, we now have this
Ambassador Programme visit. It’s a dream come true for us,” said
Netrebchuk. “It’s big step towards developing squash in our country.
“We already have courts in other cities
but we need to build even more facilities around the country – not just
in Kiev. We want to bring on our juniors and compete in more
international events, not only all the European championships including
U15, U17 and U19 categories, but also world championships.
“The current success of players like Nadiia Usenko and 17-year-old Alina Bushma, will give other juniors here a focus.”
Usenko is Ukraine’s most successful junior. Currently ranked No.2 in
the European U19 rankings, she moves to the USA later this year autumn
to start studying at Trinity College in Connecticut.
“I started playing tennis at the age of
six but when I saw my parents come home at weekends with trophies for
their squash success, I decided to give it a try,” said the 18-year-old
from Kiev. “For a time I played both sports, but when I decided I wanted
to be a professional athlete, I went for squash.
“I am so happy to be a SquashFORWARD ambassador.”
Later, a farewell reception for the team was attended by Yaroslav Madriy, State Coach of the Sports Ministry, who said: “Squash has really come on in this country in the last few years.
“This Ambassador Programme has been a
very good initiative for the sport here. But what makes it so special is
that your top athletes are not just visiting us but also giving our
players the chance to be with them on court.”
Camille Serme was delighted with her
maiden appearance as a WSF Ambassador: “It was an honour to be chosen,
for me and for French Squash, and to be here with Ramy made it extra
special – he’s such a champion.
“It was my first visit to both
countries. People have been so welcoming, it was great to see so many
adults and kids happy that we were here – that was good.
“I have seen Nadiia (Usenko) improve a lot over recent years and I think she could become a top player.”
With his impressions of the Ambassador Programme initiative, Ashour added:
“It’s very healthy for the sport, going
around the world and having this kind of coverage and being on TV in
different countries and different cultures – showing the world what we
have got and how cool the sport is. The more we do these things and get
the word out there, the more people around the world will understand us.
“I’ve never been to Ukraine or Armenia
before so that made it even more special for me. I like to know where
squash is in every nation and every culture – I want to be more aware of
these kinds of things. I think the WSF is doing a great job promoting
the sport by getting us there and pursuing the Olympic dream.
“It’s really been a delight and
pleasure to meet so many enthusiastic people. I am very humbled and very
grateful to be part of this – it’s been amazing.”
Ronny Vlassaks, who was welcomed back with open arms having presented the first coaching course in Ukraine nine years ago, said:
“Things have developed well over the
past nine years. When I first came here there was nothing in terms of
coaching, or even players. They’ve done a good job since then.
“Many years ago it was an elite sport here, but now you have clubs which you can just go in and play.
“It surprised me quite a lot just how
many junior players we saw here. That’s a good sign and a few will come
through, for sure.”
Marko Podgorsek was also pleased with the interest in his workshop:
“There were 15 referees on my course, not only from Ukraine but also from Russia and Belarus.
“Refereeing is better organised here
than in many countries, mainly thanks to Robert Wrobel, a Russian who
has helped translate the rules into the language of various countries
including Ukraine, Poland, Belarus, Russia and Latvia.
“It was good to be able to add to their
basic knowledge of the rules with an insight into where squash
refereeing is going and to know what to look out for.”
WSF Chief Executive Andrew Shelley summed up the leadership of Ukraine Squash and their community in general at the media conference, saying:
“You have a strong tradition of boxing
in Ukraine – we know the career of the Klitschko brothers, of course –
and to borrow a phrase from that sport, Ukrainian Squash definitely
punches above its weight!
“You have great squash leadership and a
really vibrant community spread across the country. You are achieving
international success now too – including new SquashFORWARD member
Nadiia Usenko, a top junior who will help shape the future of our sport.
“Squash in Ukraine is in good hands and flourishing, we salute you.”
Since 2011, the WSF Ambassador Programme has visited Latvia, Malawi,
Namibia, Panama, Venezuela, Papua New Guinea, Serbia, Romania, Croatia,
Dalian and Macau in China and last week Armenia.
Grand
Prix owner Semen Lazutenkou (seated) flanked by Ukrainian Squash
Federation Secretary General Alena Alena Ogonesân, Executive Director of
the Federation ; USF Vice President Maksim Urakin; Camille Serme;
Anastasiia Netrebchuk; Andrew Shelley; Ramy Ashour, and and Konstantin
Rybalchenko, head of the Coaching Committee.
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