After a weekend of incredible competition and unforgettable moments, the 2023 BC Squash Championships has come to a close. Held at Global Fitness & Racquet Centre in Kelowna from April 28 to April 30, squash players from across the province gathered to compete in BC’s final Provincial Championship of the season.
Delgado & Picken Win Open Titles
The Open Divisions saw fierce competition, with Giselle Delgado and Ryan Picken emerging as the champions. The Women’s Open Final saw an all-Victoria match-up, where Giselle faced Grace Thomas in an exciting match that went to 5, with Giselle squeaking away with the win 7-11, 11-2, 11-5, 5-11, 11-7. In the Men’s Open Final, Ryan took on Gavin Maxwell, winning in three straight games (11-6, 11-3, 11-9).
Tiered & Masters Division Results
But the excitement didn’t stop there – a total of 12 champions were crowned across all divisions. With Masters and Tiered Draws suitable for players of all levels, the event truly had something for everyone! Check out the list of all division final-round matches:
- Men’s 40+: Andrew Clements def. Tam Do (11-5, 11-5, 11-5)
- Men’s 50+: Bob Hrasko def. Jerry Hesse (6-11, 11-4, 8-11, 11-9, 11-2)
- Men’s 60+: Peter Ward def. Morgan Dehnel (11-7, 11-4, 11-9)
- Women’s Tier 1: Henny Habibpour def. Natasha Doucas (11-8, 11-4, 6-11, 8-11, 11-6)
- Men’s Tier 1: Tianxia Yang def. Cam Martyna (10-12, 10-12, 11-3, 11-9, 11-4)
- Men’s Tier 2: Joel Vosburg def. Hussein Hollands (11-5, 11-8, 11-9)
- Men’s Tier 3: Reza Askari def. Don MacDonald (14-12, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8)
- Men’s Tier 4: Nick Howald def. Mike Amantea (13-11, 11-4, 11-6)
- Men’s Tier 5: Chris El-Araj def. Soroush Sefodlar (11-7, 7-11, 11-7, 11-7)
- Men’s Tier 6: Everett Hollands def. Michael Ridley (11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9)
For a full list of tournament results please visit the 2023 BC Championships Tournament Page.
Memories Created Off-Court
The event wasn’t just an on-court experience! Participants were also treated to some fantastic social events. The Office Brewery played host to the incredible Saturday Night Player Party, where participants socialized and enjoyed great food and drinks. As well, participants of the Women’s Divisions enjoyed a beautiful additional social event at The View Winery.
Participants also enjoyed a Courtside Bar throughout the event, with a selection of beverages from The Office Brewery, Wards Cidery, and others. The Courtside Bar both added to the atmosphere of the event and supported Squash BC’s Grassroots Program efforts. With $1 from every drink sold going to the Squash BC Building the Future Fund, more than $250 was raised through this initiative. Thanks to all that supported!
Truly a Team Effort
This unforgettable event wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of our tournament partners. The Government of British Columbia, viaSport, Underhill Geomatics, Black Knight, Best Western Plus Kelowna, Dunlop, The Office Brewery, and the View Winery / Wards Cidery all played a crucial role in making the event a success. Squash BC is incredibly grateful to our partners. Thank you for supporting the event!
The Championships were also a showcase of Squash BC’s new Referee Development Program. We’re thrilled at the work our new referee team did throughout the weekend. Thank you to Kiowa, Henny, Sammy, Chris, Timo, Natasha, Bruce, Karen, and all the player referees for ensuring our event ran with positive sportsmanship and a strong adherence to the rules. A special shout out goes to our Referee Mentor & Assessor Curtis Gillespie, who was an incredible leader for our referees.
Squash BC would also like to give a special thank you to our Tournament Committee members Joel Casey, Shawn Zwierzchowski, Bruce Matthews, and Natasha Doucas for all their support leading up to the event. As well, we want to recognize our host facility Global Fitness & Racquet Centre and their amazing staff Darcia Fenton, Asia Snook, and the rest of the team who did an incredible job getting the facility ready and supported us throughout the event.
All in all, the 2023 BC Squash Championships was an unforgettable weekend of squash excellence, camaraderie, and celebration. Congratulations to all the champions and participants – we can’t wait to see what next year’s event will bring and we hope to see you there!
Check out the photo gallery below for lots of great memories captured at the event.