NEW HOME The facade of the new squash center inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
THE national squash team will finally have a home inside Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila.
Philippine Squash Academy president Robert Bachmann told The Manila Times on Friday that the construction of the 400-square meter training center is almost finished and the players may start training by mid-July.
The P65-million venue, to be named “National Squash Center, Home of the Kayod Pilipinas Squash Team,” is right beside the track and field stadium. It has two singles courts, one doubles court and one jumbo doubles court. Each court has a gallery.
“They are completing the installation of the courts already. They started flooring yesterday. The courts should be done in a week or two and maybe, another week to finish and clean up the center. We will have to submit our request to the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) to move in and provide a training schedule for the athletes,” said Bachmann after inspecting the center, which also has showers, comfort rooms, office and four rooms, one on the first floor and three on the mezzanine floor.
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“Maybe one can be converted to sleeping quarters.”
The construction of the training center began in late 2019 but was suspended in March 2020 when the government ordered a lockdown because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“During the pandemic, we trained in a residence in Putatan, Muntinlupa City with one court. We still train there to this day,” said Bachmann, who is also the president of the South East Asia Squash Federation.
For many years, the Makati Sports Club (MSC) was the regular training venue of the national players. In 2018, they transferred to the Manila Polo Club.
“We stopped training in MSC in early 2018. We began training in Manila Polo Club for the Jakarta Asian Games and trained there until the lockdown of 2020,” shared Bachmann, whose father Kurt Bachmann played for the national basketball team in the 1960 Rome Olympic Games.
After inspecting the squash center last Wednesday, Bachmann dropped by the office of PSC chairman William Ramirez to express his gratitude.
“I thanked him for the continued support of squash in the past six years and the building of the first national squash center. I really could not ask for anything more. We are so grateful,” said Bachmann, the younger brother of Richard who is the assistant team manager of Converge in the PBA.
The training center will cater to …….
Source: https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/06/25/sports/national-squash-center-nears-completion/1848572
