Squash squad selected for European Games

The four squash players who will be representing Team GB at this summer’s European Maccabi Games in Berlin have been announced.

Matt Crawcour, a former EMG Gold Medal-winner, will both compete and manage the Masters squad, with Daniel Kaitiff the other athlete. Max Ettinger and Jonathan Leslie will be competing in the open tournament. The team has a proud history of winning squash medals at previous European Games, with the delegation in Vienna four years ago returning home with five awards, including an overall open team gold and open singles gold, to add to Crawcour’s, plus a masters singles silver and open singles bronze.

Speaking about his teams and the expectations for Berlin, Crawcour said: “As a squad we are aiming high, even though we have an inexperienced set of players, and we can leave with a team medal. Hopefully it will be a gold one and it would be good to also get at least another medal in the individual events. We’ve got a number of athletes who are playing in either their first senior squash tournament or their first European Maccabi Games, so there will be a learning curve for some and a baptism of fire for others. But I would tell them to enjoy themselves! The best part about representing your country and Community is the pride in bringing a commonwealth sport to Berlin and to have to opportunity for Team Maccabi GB to show our pedigree, as well as hopefully bringing the British/Jewish sense of humour to the court!

“As a Player/Manager I will have my work cut out for me, playing against younger players, but I hope to repeat the success of Vienna in 2011.”

SQUAD:

Open:
Max Ettinger
Jonathan Leslie

Masters:
Matt Crawcour (Athlete/Manager)
Daniel Kaitiff