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By Collin Matiza
ONE of the country’s top squash coaches Mashumba Mukumba has been offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of honing his skills in Canada after he recently received an invitation to witness a one-week professional tour event in that country next month.
Mukumba, who runs the Zimbabwe Squash Academy at Premier Belgravia Sports Club in Harare, has been invited to attend the Rocky Mountain professional men’s tour event, which will be hosted by the Calgary Winter Club from March 14 to 20.
This is a US$35 000 event which attracts many of the top-ranked squash players in the world and last season’s champion and world number 10 ranked player Darryl Shelby will be returning to defend his title.
And Zimbabwean coach Mukumba will be among the invited guests at this prestigious event after the head coach of professional squash in Canada, Ashley Read, recently extended an invitation to him to attend it.
In his invitation letter to Mukumba, Read said the March 14 to 20 event in Calgary will go a long way in helping the Zimbabwean coach to upgrade his coaching skills.
Read said Mukumba’s presence at the one-week event will not only help him in upgrading his coaching skills but it will also give him an opportunity of watching world class squash at close hand.
Running alongside this professional squash event in Calgary will be amateur and junior events featuring top local Canadian players.
“During your time at the club, I would also like you to witness the top squash programme in Canada with over 150 juniors playing weekly and a very strong adult section featuring 15 teams playing in the Calgary Inter Club League,” Read said in his invitation letter to Mukumba.
Read also indicated that apart from Mukumba, many other coaches will be coming to Calgary from around the world to experience squash at the highest level.
“This is an ideal opportunity (for you) to develop further as a coach. You will learn important lessons and this will definitely help you in your coaching career.
“It is also a good opportunity for you to collect squash rackets and balls for your academy . . . Make hay while the sun shines,” Read added.
Mukumba said yesterday that he felt honoured to receive an invitation to attend one of the top squash events in Canada if not in the world.
“This is just great and it’s a major development for me because attending this event will give me the opportunity of learning how to coach squash at the highest level.”