Inverness to host top squash players from across north as Highlands and Islands Squash Association celebrates 50 years
TOP players from across the North are set to arrive in Inverness to compete at the Highlands and Islands Squash Association Championship which celebrates it 50th anniversary this weekend.
The event will see 45 players at senior and junior level compete at the Inverness Tennis and Squash Club on Saturday and Sunday.
Among the top players attending the tournament will be Inverness player Alasdair Prott who is currently ranked 163 in the world.
Prott has achieved some impressive wins during his career including winning the Scottish Under-23 title last year.
He also won the Eastside Open in Australia in 2023 and was called up to the Scotland squad to compete at the World Team Championships in Hong Kong.
Three-time champion Finlay Scott from Orkney is also set to be competing at the tournament this weekend.
HISA chairman John Georgeson says as well as looking forward to two days of top action, the event is also a chance to recognise the figures behind Highland squash for the last five decades.
He said: “To have 45 players competing at the tournament is fantastic.
“We also have a large number of junior players taking part and this is a great way to celebrate the event.
“A dinner will be taking place in the evening at the Glen Mhor Hotel with 70 people attending and we have invited those who were involved in the organisation in the early years. It will be great to see the early players and stalwarts.”
The Highlands has arguably boasted the best squash talent in Scotland in the last decade.
The duo have also competed in a number of Commonwealth Games, with Lobban winning bronze alongside Rory Stewart from Perth at the 2022 games in Birmingham.
There has also been success in women’s squash in the Highlands as well. Inverness Red Kites, which were only formed in 2023, won the Scottish title in their debut year and went on to compete in the European Championships in Germany.
Georgeson says the Highlands has played a major part in the success of Scottish squash.
He said: “Squash in the north of Scotland has always boasted a great track record. There is the Scottish number one Greg Lobban and in recent years four out of five members of the Scottish team have been from the Highlands.
“That collective have been the pillars of the Scottish team which has been brilliant.
“Players have to commit if they want to play in big competitions as they are mostly in the central belt and that involves lots of travelling.
“You have to commit weekends to training and travelling around Scotland, but that has really benefitted our players.”
