Austrian squash legend Aqeel Rehman used the recent $6k PSA Mozart Open as a platform to introduce 300 local kids to squash — and has urged other tournament promoters to follow his example.
Rehman has organised the annual PSA Challenger event in Salzburg for 22 years (and has won it three times!). This year it moved from its previous venue in the Europark shopping mall to the vast Messezentrum Salzburg conference centre across town.
The extra space enabled Rehman to expand the many annual side events he organises around the tournament to promote squash.
This year, he invited 300 children from local schools on to the all-glass court — for free — in the three days before the tournament began, conducting all coaching sessions himself, in addition to organising the tournament, and playing in it!
The 'Kids&School Days' introduction sessions are part of the Austrian Squash Challenge, a range of programmes Rehman organises to get more people (especially children) playing the game.
Each participating school brought 20-25 children to the spectacular Messezentrum for 90-minute sessions on the glass court (which featured a human size Playmobil Mozart behind the back wall!).
With four sessions per day for three days, 300 kids went away inspired, many came back to watch the PSA tournament and all were given free invitiations to join junior clinics on Mondays and Fridays at Rehman's base, Squash Club 80 Salzburg based at Tenniscourt Sud.
Several children take up this follow-on offer each year after the Austrian Squash Challenge. Consequently, Rehman's junior section at Tenniscourt Sud has an annual influx of keen new players and is thriving as a result.
"The schools are very, very keen," Rehman tells Squash Player. "I send out the information around eight weeks prior to the event, and within 24 hours I am sold out.
"Each kid gets a racket and a ball and we do lots of fun exercises, balancing one one foot, playing front court games, we have a net outside the court they can use, snacks and drinks, then at the end we use the speed gun, which they love!"
Delivering back-to-back coaching sessions with beginners for three days straight, followed by a PSA tournament which he organises and competes in, is (to put it somewhat mildly) hard work. But Rehman is driven by a passion for growing the game.
He sees PSA events as a perfect platform to leave a legacy of local participation.
Rehman competing in the quarter-finals
"Wherever I see someone doing this, it works!" he says. "Many promoters don't realise what other opportunities PSA tournaments offer to grow the game in this way.
"I do it every year because it's my passion and I can see it works. Sadly it's often just one person who puts in a lot of effort; going into schools, delivering programmes, offering follow-up opportunities.
"It's sad that there aren't more people with the passion, time and effort to do the same."
Rehman's passion and effort are seemingly limitless. He lost to England's Will Salter in the semi-finals at this year's Mozart Open in five games. The following day he was presenting the winners' prizes, then dismantling the court and clearing the venue for 24 hours, completing admin, dealing with sponsors, sending out raffle prizes... then was soon back on court coaching at Squash Club 80.
Now aged 40, he is one of the PSA Tour's elder statesman. In February, he set a new world record by winning his 20th Austrian Nationals in a row — the most consecutive national titles by any squash player in history.
Rehman's 20th national championship was achieved without dropping a game. His opponent in the final, 19-year-old Daniel Lutz, wasn't even born when Rehman won his first!
Rehman has mixed feelings about the achievement. "I'm very proud, of course, but it's not a good sign for the sport that nobody is coming up to challenge me.
"It makes me think there's a whole generation that missed out on developing. It's a huge gap which isn't good for the sport in Austria. Players need idols and goals for who they want to beat. That's why I am trying my best to fill that gap."
Words: Mike Dale
Photos: Gintare Karpaviciuite
