Liz Addison reports
South Africa could walk away with 9 gold medals, 2 definite silver medals and another 6 should the South African finalists not win gold, and a possible 10 bronze medals when the 2016 World Masters Squash Championships finish on Friday at the Wanderers and Parkview complexes.
Craig van der Wath, who contests the Men’s 50-54 final at the Parkview Squash complex wins, will set a new record for 6 gold medals won should he defeat second seed Yawar Abbas from England. Van der Wath has collected two golds in the 35-39 group: one in the 40-44 and a further two in the 45-49 group in the last two events. Together with Australia’s Geoff Davenport and Avril Murphy (Eng), van der Wath presently holds the record with five titles.
Adrian Wright (75-79 ), Barbara Sanderson (75+), Bett Dryhurst (70-74) are looking for their fourth gold medals : Willie Hosey (55-59) and Sarah Fitz-Gerald (45-49) their third: Mike Tootill (45-49) and Natalie Grainger (35-39) are aiming for their second World Masters titles.
The South African players in the finals are Samantha Herbert and Anlen Jarvis (40-44): Sharon le Roux (50-54), Anne Cave (75+), Gary Wheadon (35-39), Tootill and Adrian Hansen (45-49), van der Wath (50-54), Johnny Orsmond (60-64) and Des Sacco (75-79).
Playing for bronze are : Liesel Claxton and Jacquie Ryder (35-39) , Catherine Atkinson and Karen Schultz (40-44), Linda Shannon (45-49), Karin Fannin and Mariet Smal (55-59), Margie Hunt-Kemp (65-69), Jean Grainger and Sheena Worwood (70-74), Jimmy Schlebusch (35-39), Paul Atkinson (40-44), Craig Wapnick (45-49), Trevor Wilkinson (55-59), Stan Voges (60-64).
Play at Parkview begins at 09.30 while the top action at the Wanderers begins at 13.00.
