Squash Club Nurtures Champion Juniors

A south Belfast sports club is targeting younger than ever players, and as Belfast Boat Club's Squash Academy is already widely recognised as the home of championship players, it is hoped the new initiative will produce even more of Ulster's top junior squash players.

Among the established members of the academy is Ulster Junior representative Caitilin Maguire who has steadily improved and - although one of the youngest in her age group - looks set to return to the Ulster stage for this season's inter-provincial championships.

Now as the club continues to recruit 'new blood' Caitilin is hoping to pass on some of her skills to one of the academy's newest recruits, five-year-old Evie Dullaghan.

The girls are pictured here with Evie said to be already showing evidence of inheriting the skills of her father, the three-times Ulster Champion and Irish Masters player, John Dullaghan.

The Boat Club Junior Squash Academy has been running successfully for over a decade with younger recruits now being sought.

It can boast of having introduced more than 20 juniors to the sport who have gone on to win County and International honours at Junior and Senior level.

Graduates of the Junior Academy currently hold six places in the Irish rankings and the success is evidenced with the Belfast Boat Club securing 1st and 2nd place in last seasons Ulster Squash Senior Premier League.

Indeed, Madeline Perry, currently Irish Number one player and World Number six also recognises the club's success and often takes time out of her schedule playing the women's professional squash tour to coach the Boat Club juniors - especially so as Madeline herself was a junior too.

(BMcC/GK)