Israeli squash team conquers Soweto

JACK MILNER
 

An under-19 Israeli squash team spent some time in South Africa last week to prepare for the Men’s World Junior Team Championships 2014, which is currently being played in Namibia.

The tournament involves teams from 23 countries, including Egypt, Kuwait, Pakistan, India and Malaysia and there have been no problems. In fact, Israel and Pakistan are in the same group and have already played one another.

At the time of writing Pakistan led Pool B with Israel in second, Germany third and Namibia fourth. Israel’s second place allowed it to qualify for the quarterfinals. Other teams who qualified for the quarterfinals are Egypt and US from Pool A, England and France from Pool C, India and Colombia from Pool D, Malaysia and Ireland from Pool E and Spain and Finland from Pool F. The Israeli team comprises Daniel Poleshchuk, Roee Avraham, Noam Peer and Nir Cohen.

The decision for the team to spend a week prior to the championship in South Africa, came about when Maccabi SA’s Glenn Lazarus met Stan Tannen, chairman of Israel Junior Squash, at last year’s Maccabiah.

“I explained to Glenn we were hoping to send a team to Namibia to participate in the World Junior Championships in August 2014 and together we looked at the possibility of bringing the team to train in Johannesburg and get involved with the Egolisquash project,” said Tannen.

Lazarus arranged a training facility and accommodation for the team. “During our stay we had the privilege of coaching at the urban squash programme at Johannesburg University and in Soweto. We also played one of the top local schools and met up with children from the King David Schools.

“We saw a lot of unbelievable raw talent and no words can describe the immense work and effort being put into the Egolisquash programme,” said Tannen.

The Israeli team comprises players ranked in the top three and on their first day they had a training session with the Egolisquash Colts Future Champions players at Doornfontein squash courts.

On the second day they visited the Egolisquash Mass Participation programme for inner-city high schools and the turnout was amazing, with 120 players from Phoenix, New Model, Centurion, Our Lady of Wisdom, BASA and Bayhen Colleges, all eager to learn and have fun with these top players. Over 200 kids participated in the coaching.

As part of their training camp, the Israel team also played matches against Northcliff Boys’ High under-19 team who are the Central Gauteng under-19 Tops Schools champions for 2014. The Israeli team was too strong and powered their way to a 5-0 victory over the local team..

They then took on the mighty Old Eds First league team at the Old Eds Club. Included in the Old Eds team was Thoboki Mohohlo currently No 3 in South Africa. The Israeli team played some great squash and only lost one match out of five.

They also had an opportunity to take on Craig van der Wath, a South African squash legend, and the Parkview team.

They toured Soweto and ran a training session at the Gazankulu School Squash court in Chiawelo. The touring team ran indoor and outdoor training clinics with the future champions of SA, which included SA under-14 champion Amukelani Zitha. The kids then had an opportunity to learn a few Hebrew words and play some matches!

The Israeli team also played a match against the Maccabi under-19 team, which was played in great spirit, but the Israelis showed their class and strength in every match.

Some great new friends were made and Thoboki Mohohlo is expected to spend some time with Nadav Tanned, the Israeli coach, training and playing together in Poland in the next few weeks.

Oldest Test cricketer turns 103

JACK MILNER

Norman Gordon became the world’s oldest living test cricketer when New Zealander Eric Tindell passed away on August 1, 2010, approximately four months before his 100th birthday. Gordon, who was even at that time the only living cricketer to have played in the 1939 “timeless test” in Durban, was just 361 days away from his 100^th birthday.

Remarkably no Test cricketer had ever reached his century and the following year there were some scary moments as Gordon manoeuvred his way through a cold winter. On August 6 2011, Gordon turned 100 and remarkably, three years later, he can boast 103 not out. 

Friend and former Test cricketer Ali Bacher, was quoted by Sport24 as saying that “old age is catching up with him”.

Gordon represented South Africa in five Test matches in the 1938/39 season, including the “timeless test” played against England at Durban in March 1939. The Test lasted 10 days and ended in a draw.

Gordon was in the middle of bowling his 93rd over when the teams finally decided to call it a day as the England team had to dash to catch the mail boat home. War was looming in Europe and the English team wanted to get home.

Gordon’s 92,2, eight-ball overs bowled in that Test, equating to a mammoth 738 balls, still stands as the most number of balls bowled by a fast bowler in a Test match.

His Test career ended prematurely with the start of the Second World War and he only played a handful of matches after the war before retiring at the end of the 1948/49 season.

Bacher said he had hoped to take Gordon out for lunch on his birthday, but he was not well enough to go out.