PST Expands Into Asia With This Weekend's Hanoi Classic
by Kenneth Tuttle
October 12, 2012 - This weekend will be the first tournament of the Pro Squash Tour's foray into the Asia Pacific region. As it is this tournament has attracted players from five different countries. And includes the top Vietnamese player, who is located in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).
Squash in Vietnam has a history that spans at least 20 years, but it's reach has remained limited and confined previously to the mostly expat community that comes through either on short term basis or long term, to permanent stays.
Currently, our sport is found in the two cities of Vietnam: Saigon and Hanoi. Of course these two cities are more than 1,400 km apart. Hanoi in the far north, and Saigon in the far south. This being the case the interaction between the two squash communities has been relatively infrequent.
And yet at the same time, both communities have remained very active and dedicated, have regular competitions and tournaments. Over the years both of these cities have had their influx of talented players coming through, and sharing their expertise. So when one drops in for a short while and plays, it's easy to get a taste of the 'Australian', 'English', 'Malaysian', 'French' and 'Canadian' styles (along with other nationals too).
In Saigon, this constant ebb and flow of players coming in from around the world and all ending up at the Landmark Health Club has been part of the education and training opportunity for Huu Viet Nguyen. 'Coach Viet' is now the manager of the Landmark Hotel's Health Club, and this has been a boon to his game, as he never been at a loss for a game or training partner.
Over time, Coach Viet has honed his strokes and game against all the best players who have come through Saigon, and now he's clearly head and shoulders above all the other local players in Vietnam, as well as most of the foreign players who are regulars at the regional and national level here.
That said, there are still some players coming in this weekend who have extensive competitive experience back in their home countries. The lone Australian in the draw, Travis Fennell, is probably starting out the tournament as the favorite, having at one time been a junior playing in the senior A grade league level back in Australia. And still competes at that level when he spends time back in country, during their winter league season.
Other players participating have previously plied their racket skills in the leagues of France, England, as well as Canada. Aside from Coach Viet, there are two excellent players coming up from the south, Julien Griselin (Fra), and Stefan Georg (Usa), who rule the courts down south. The north has two others playing who have recently stopped in Hanoi, and are playing competitively, and having good results: James Fox (Fra), and Guillaume Humbert (Fra).
As the first event of the PST, outside of the continental United States, the Hanoi Classic is setting down footprints and the precedent for this expansion. Previously, a few years ago, Hanoi was the host for a WISPA (now WSA) tournament. Now Hanoi is back on the scene as the location for another professional tournament. And a number of Asian cities are watching how this event goes, as they too will host a PST event this year, or in the next season coming.
Here, as it is back in PST's home territory, the events coming up in the Asia Pacific region are about developing not only a professional tour, but about enhancing the sport's profile locally, and attracting more local interest, building the numbers of participants. As such each tournament and the work that goes into getting the events up and running is focused on the local environment, and adjusting the tournament formats and the ancillary activities to have a positive impact on the game.
For this first event, the whole endeavor here could happen without the support of the owner of the Hanoi Club Hotel and Residences, Mr. Victor Chng. Victor has, throughout his time in Hanoi, been a staunch supporter of squash, and the players who live in the area and those who come traveling through.
As it is now, squash, as an activity, is still in its infancy here in Vietnam, but there are signs of potential growth. Many of the new resorts, residential and vacation complexes that have been built or are in phased buildout are including squash courts in their plans.
So, here we are, this weekend, giving our all to promote this great
game, and take another step in developing the local interest and regard for squash.
DRAW
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