Professional squash is back and set to resume this October with a revamped Growthpoint SA Nationals and Growthpoint Interprovincial.
The revamped Growthpoint SA Nationals will provide more squash players with the chance to compete in the tournament than ever before. The tournament will feature eight regional qualifier events across 8 provinces, with the winners qualifying for the main event. A minimum of 256 Men and 128 Women are expected to compete in the regionals.

The main event will be held in an all-glass squash court in Brooklyn Mall in Pretoria from 15 to 17 October 2020. Fourteen matches, from the quarter-finals to the finals, will be played across the men’s and women’s divisions. The winners will be crowned SA’s best squash players. All matches will be streamed live on the Squash South Africa Facebook and YouTube pages.
“Following the COVID-19 outbreak, we have had to reassess and adjust how we can best cater for our athletes. We are delighted to announce this new structure for the Growthpoint SA Nationals and we believe this model provides more opportunities to more athletes than ever before. We are extremely grateful to Growthpoint for their full support in this new format, as well as Tsogo Sun and Dunlop who have continued to support us,” said Squash South Africa Acting President, Jennifer Sawyer.
The Growthpoint Interprovincial has also undergone changes to prevent large gatherings of teams due to COVID-19 precautions. For the first time ever, different divisions will be played across the country, with Pretoria, Johannesburg, and Pietermaritzburg set to play hosts.
“We know our members have been anxious about whether the Growthpoint Interprovincial would go ahead this year. We believe this is the best possible compromise to ensure the tournament can go ahead in a safe and responsible manner. The heart and soul of the Interprovincial is in the coming together of people to play and bond, and we will aim to return the format back to normal in 2021,” added Ms Sawyer.
The tournaments will all be played according to the COVID-19 Risk Mitigation Strategy submitted by Squash South Africa and approved by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. The federation has worked closely with government to ensure the full compliance necessary to proceed.
Only the participating squash players, event staff and broadcast team will be allowed on-site in Brooklyn Mall. All participants will be screened prior to the start of each day. Security will ensure no gathering of crowds and safe social distancing. No spectators will be allowed at the tournaments as well as no hospitality.
“Our focus is to ensure that our athletes can compete in a safe and responsible manner. We will work to ensure that no athletes or staff will be compromised in any way,” said Ms Sawyer.
Tournament Schedule
• 1 – 4 October 2020: East London Pre Qualifier
• 8 – 11 October 2020: Regional Qualifiers
o North West, Northerns, Joburg, Western Province, Free State, Eastern Province, Border,Midlands, KwaZulu Natal.
• 15 – 17 October 2020: Growthpoint SA Nationals (Main Event)
o Brooklyn Mall, Pretoria
• 19 – 23 October 2020: Growthpoint Interprovincial
o Pretoria, Johannesburg, and Pietermaritzburg
About Accelerate Sport
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About Squash South Africa
Squash South Africa is recognised as the South African national governing body of the sport of squash by SASCOC. Together with 138 other countries, Squash South Africa is affiliated to the World Squash Federation and abides by the WSF Rules of Squash for both singles and doubles.
For further information, please contact:
Squash SA: Liz Addison
+27 (0) 11 442 8056
liz@squashsa.co.za
www.squashsa.co.za
Media & PR: Katleho Mashego – Accelerate Sport
+27 (0) 63 224 0268
katleho@acceleratesport.com
www.acceleratesport.com