Four Inaugural Champions Crowned in Windsor

Non-stop squash delighted the Windsor community at Devonshire Mall from August 15-21 as top Canadian and International players converged on the city to compete in four events on the all-glass Power Court, named deferentially after the sporting and squash legend Jahangir Khan who attended and supported the entire event.

“Great week of squash in Windsor!” says Jahangir Khan, winner of 555 matches in a row. “It was a pleasure to be part of the organizing committee and spend quality time with upcoming Canadian players and pros from around the world. I had the opportunity to hit with the juniors, meet some old squash friends and make a few new ones who are ready to go above and beyond to support squash.”

First up was the pair of JK Windsor Satellite events to support our Junior National Squad and NextGen National Squad athletes in their quest for PSA points and experience. This three-day event saw many local Windsor and Canadian athletes compete.

The women’s event had three upsets in the quarterfinals as Erisa Sano Herring (Japan), Niki Shemirani (Iran), and Molly Chadwick (ON) fight their way into the semifinals. The number one seed Laura Tovar (Colombia) was too strong for finalist Shemirani, who trains in Toronto, in an exciting 4-game final. The men’s event saw a notable 5-game upset by local star Amin Khan (ON) over seeded Nicolas Serna (Colombia). The final four athletes, all from Canada, included the number one seed Salaheldin Eltorgman (ON) and the number two seed Liam Marrison (ON), George Crowne (ON) and Elliott Hunt (ON). Crowne proved dominant throughout the event by not dropping a game on his way to taking the title.

“This is exactly the kind of event our athletes need,” said Samantha Cornett, Squash Canada Events and National Teams Coordinator and four time Canadian Women’s Champion. “Our young players got the opportunity to bolster their rankings with Satellite and Challenger PSA points, all the while getting experience playing with our top pros and absorbing the energy from some of the best players in the world.”

The second half of the week consisted of larger events – a Women’s PSA Open and a Men’s Invitational Cup. Canadian stars Nikki Todd (SK), Amal Izhar (ON), Iman Shaheen (ON), Mike McCue (ON), Nick Sachvie (ON), and Shawn Delierre (QC) were joined by top international players Diego Elias (Peru), Marwan El Shorbagy (Egypt), Gregoire Marche (France), and Shahjahan Khan (USA).

In the Women’s PSA Open, Erisa Sano Herring (Japan) and Maria Moya of Ecuador took out the number there and four seeds respectively, with Herring’s win a notable reversal of her result against Tovar earlier in the week. First and second seeds Nikki Todd (SK) and Diana Garcia (Mexico) were too strong in the semifinals, both battling through in four games. The final was tight and tense, and Garcia was very happy to seal the Open title in just three hard-fought games. The Men’s Invitational Cup was also full of upsets, as George Crowne took out Canadian legend Shawn Delierre in round one and Gregoire Marche took out Marwan El Shorbagy in the semifinals. It was exciting to watch the four top seeds and top-ranked PSA players battle it out in the semifinals and finals. Ranked number four in the world, Diego Elias was pushed but never worried as he took the title in four close games with Gregoire Marche.

The quality of squash in all the events was a treat for locals, and many squash fans made the trip from out of town to catch the exciting matches and top players competing at Devonshire Mall. Notably, many passersby have been introduced to the game thanks to the very prominent location in Devonshire Mall, and youths tested out their skills on Squash Canada’s mini-inflatable squash court.

“The Windsor Cup Squash Tournament was an incredible event for our community that brought many of the best professional and amateur players in the world to our community”, stated City of Windsor Councillor Kieran McKenzie. “The organizers, sponsors and dedicated volunteers did a wonderful job showcasing not only the amazing athletes and competition but our community as a whole. I was both honoured and thrilled to be able to be a part of it and building on this success, I look forward to an even better event in 2023.”

“Odette School of Business is proud to be associated with Windsor Cup 2022, which put Windsor on the World map in a new way, while strengthening the ties of the Odette School of Business with partners across the community and around the World”, stated Bharat Maheshwari. “It was an excellent display of top quality professional squash with best players in the world competing in the amazing settings provided by the Devonshire Mall and glass court set up by Squash Canada right here in our town. Our students participate regularly in the game of squash which is a great way of keeping fit and establishing trusting relationships.”

Many thanks to Gold sponsors Ciena Healthcare, Greatech, SAZ Consulting, Shaban Dental Clinic, Devonshire Mall, the City of Windsor, and our many generous silver and bronze sponsors and the Windsor Squash Community for their support of this celebration of squash.

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