AJ Bell World Championships Manchester 2013

 
One year ago at this exact moment I suffered a nasty ankle injury on my left ankle, only 10 days before the World Open in Qatar. I still pushed through and played it, losing out 3-0 to the world no60 Oliver Pett.

This year one month ago, I suffered a deja vu as the same ankle injured on the same place. After a descent start of the season in Herentals, the injury affected me strongly during the euro club champs in Italy and I continued rehabilitating for 3 weeks after my return to Holland. The injury gave me a good chance to do some solo hits and apply the final touch on my technique that has been a bit of a project over the last years. The last touch still requires a while to get automatized, and I still didnt feel 100% comfortable with it. I managed to get 3 hits on court with a partner before taking off to Manchester. Preperations were far from optimal.

However, talking it over with coach Mark Hornby, we thought it still would be a great experience and learning arena no matter the result. If it didnt go the right way in the tournament, we could still use the time we had to work on my game a bit.

On matchday I had a good preperation with a good hit on the glass court with Shahier Razik, the number 1 Canadian player, as well as  a chat w Nick Matthew and some movement/activation drills at Northern squash club, also in Manchester. The body felt good and ready for a fight. The racket handling was not as good as it has to be.

I drew the no5 seed in qualifying and PSA ranked 39 in the world, Karim Ali Fathi. A fast player with good racket skills, liking hard hitting and a fast pace. After a good warm up, I felt ready to run down every ball and die out there if necessary. I had to, as I had little confidence in my technique.

The first 3 balls played hit all the nicks in the back, and the rest hit all the nicks in the front. Typical egyptian style squash was enforced by a dead court with huge nicks. 11-2 loss

I was told to step up the court, volley more, close down the court, run everything down, while I had to try to hit the ball properly. I could only do one thing at once ( I am but only a man), and then the other parts were not completed very well. I still managed to sneak a few extra points in the second game by keeping the length and width better and slowing the ball down more, pinning him into the back. Still the difference in ranking shone through as I lost 11-5.

In the third game I snatched a bit too much, focusing more on running than hitting, making a lot of tactical blunders to lose it 11-2

Even though it was the quickest loss in the first round qualifying, I cant beat myself up about it, thinking of what I have been through the last months. But naturally one always want to perform better on a stage like this.

All the things missing at the moment has been working well for me at one time or another lately. I just need to get them all in at once. I know I am almost there. I just need a good year of training now to put the pieces of the puzzle together. It will be hard, as I now support myself with working, but it is not impossible. Hopefully I will better myself until next year and come back to the tour stronger than ever.

Squash Kick Off Event Sportcentrum Overhout

Sunday 3d of November we are putting together a Squash event to promote this great sport to the masses and particularly the people of Haarlem.

Sportcentrum Overhout have 5 renovated squash courts of high standard right next to the canal that runs right through the heart of Haarlem city.

On this day we will get together to play a lot of squash, have a social tournament as well as demonstrations and plenty of time in the bar

Send me a mail: barekimare@gmail.com, call Overhout: 0235338777, or leave a comment under to sign up

Costs are 10 euros FOR THE ENTIRE DAY!!!

New New Job

 After my jobs in Dordrecht and in the Haag went down the drain, an opening came to my attention at Overhout Sportcentrum in Haarlem.
This is an extremely nice and cosy Sportcentrum between Haarlem centrum and Schalkwijk, right next to the main canal in a bigger sport area.
They have 15 Tenniscourts (all weather, gravel, hardcourt) outside and inside as well as 5 squash courts. The bar area is really nice and the atmosphere is great.

My girlfriends mother told me about the place, and after having a meeting with the managers I was convinced that this was a place of my liking. After introducing my ideas to the managers, they too were enthousiastic and we see eye to eye on most things.

I will start here next Monday promoting squash and trying to build up a nice and social squash environment. I want to start coaching, arranging tournaments, creating internal ladders, social evenings and maybe even signing up league teams eventually.

Check out their website for more information: http://sportcentrumoverhout.nl/

Why you should fill your company with athletes

http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidkwilliams/2013/10/02/why-you-should-fill-your-company-with-athletes/

"1. They have the drive to practice a task rigorously, relentlessly, and even in the midst of failure until they succeed."

2........

Rollercoasters and Rainbows

You crash you burn, you collect the ashes and pick yourself up, your on top of the world, in the basement, struggling, floating on clouds, when it rains it pours and sometimes money do grow on trees.

The last months of my life could be described from a number of different angles.

One the one hand.... My biggest sponsor pulled out, I had 2 jobs waiting for me after the holiday where one was given away to someone else for some reason, and the other one took 3 months to get started, only to not get started at all :( Im homeless, no money and no job. I'm injured and have the flu, covered with a nasty cold, I have a nasty rash in places where the sun don't shine and have a loan that will be downpaid in 30 years....if I start paying it now..which I can't...at all

On the other hand... The beginning of the year was the best year of my life, my squash has reached a better level than ever. Sun has followed me all over, and had a great week in Belgium with the national team, a fantastic week working in Norway the week after, giving lessons, courses, classes and the week after travelling to Italy for the European Club Championships playing squash with good friends and hanging with one of the best ones, Maggi in Bologna on the last day. I have a great girlfriend, family and friends who got my back. My friends Rob Grant, Steve Finitsis, Cigany, Karen and Jeannot has housed me, My mum has sponsored my squash, the squash federation and my squash club Hafrsfjord has sponsored the trips in the last months. My injury is recovering well, the flu is letting go, I am starting a new job in a new place in Haarlem next week, I will be starting to play league, which will keep me fed from week to week until I get into my new job. And in this period I started my own company and did my taxes in Dutch.