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Growthpoint SA Nationals regional qualifier

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Johannesburg, South Africa: Gqeberha-born Dewald van Niekerk heads a glittering array of top national squash stars when the regional qualifying rounds of the Growthpoint South African Nationals are played this weekend.

Taking place at eight venues around the country, this is the first step for the cream of the country’s players as they strive to secure a place in the top eight men and women for the August showdown.

Those who advance from the weekend’s regional events will gather at the V & A Waterfront in Cape Town from August 9 to 11 to decide this year’s Growthpoint national champions.

Van Niekerk, who is based in Johannesburg but also spends time campaigning overseas, has established himself as a class above the rest in taking the last three Growthpoint national crowns and not much should stop him from advancing to the Cape Town finals.

He will be contesting the regional qualifier in Gqeberha and should have top Eastern Province player Gerard Mitchell as his main rival.

Mitchell won the Eastern Province Closed this year and is an energetic and lively player, whom Van Niekerk will be sure not to take lightly.

Van Niekerk will be joined by Eastern Province’s South African representative in Hayley Ward, who has also spent some time playing PSA tournaments abroad this year and will be odds-on favourite to finish top of the podium in Gqeberha.

In Cape Town, an interesting entry is that of former professional Alex Fuller, who left the international circuit last year to pursue other career avenues.

The 30-year-old was South Africa’s outstanding performer on the pro tour over the last decade, reaching a highest world ranking of 22 in 2022.

While she is no longer competing at that level, she remains a formidable player and will be fully motivated to add to the Growthpoint national titles she won in 2020 and 2022 should she successfully negotiate the Western Province regionals.

Littered among the eight events are some names which have become synonymous with the upper echelons of South African squash.

Johannesburg’s Christo Potgieter was the champion in 2020 and although he has been the runner-up three times since, his natural competitiveness will have him chasing hard for another spot in the national finals.

Even as the years slip by and the younger set start snapping at his heels, the 37-year-old will not be taken for granted by anyone in the Johannesburg regionals.

The Boland regional qualifier will feature two of South Africa’s most enduring talents in Milnay Louw (36) and JP Brits (33).

They have long been the standard-bearers for SA squash, with Louw winning the national title from 2017 to 2019 and Britz being crowned the country’s champion in 2019.

Like Potgieter, they know that the chasing pack is after them but their experience over decades of playing, plus a dedication to continue competing, will offer a real challenge to their younger rivals.

Leading the brigade of youth will be promising players emerging from the junior ranks such as Awande Malinga, Elske Garbers and Dene van Zyl.

Malinga was crowned the U19 champion at the Growthpoint Junior Nationals last year, overcoming both her rivals in the finals in Cape Town.

The Northerns player heads the field in the Free State qualifier, while it will be interesting to see what sort of impact Van Zyl and Garbers, both of SA Country Districts, can make in the Boland and Northwest events.

The leading players for the Growthpoint regional qualifiers are:

  • Eastern Province: Women: Hayley Ward (EP), Jacqui Ryder (EP); men: Dewald van Niekerk (SA Country Districts), Gerard Mitchell (EP)
  • Northerns: Women: Helena Hudson (Northerns), Mariske Wiese (Northerns); men: Damian Groenewald (Northerns), Jarrod Cousins (Northerns)
  • Boland: Women: Milnay Louw (WP), Danell Douglas (EP), Dene van Zyl (SA Country Districts); men: JP Brits (SA Country Districts), Devon Osborne (WP)
  • Free State: Women: Awande Malinga (Northerns), Mariske McDonald (Free State); men: Ruan Olivier (Northerns), Tremayne McDonald (Free State)
  • Joburg: Women: Teagan Russell (Joburg Squash), Michele van Zyl (Joburg Squash); men: Christo Potgieter (Joburg Squash), Luke Jacoby, Diodivine Mkhize (Joburg Squash)
  • KZN: Men: Jonty Matthys (SA Country Districts), Daryn Pieters (KZN Midlands)
  • Kwaberg: Women: Kimberley McDonald (Northerns), Janice Harmse (Joburg Squash)
  • Northwest: Women: Alexa Pienaar (SA Country Districts), Elske Garbers (SA Country Districts); men: Reuel Videler (SA Country Districts), Gareth Craigen (SA Country Districts)
  • WP: Women: Alex Fuller (WP), Siyoli Waters (WP), Karen Schultz (WP); men: Migael Lombard (WP), Ian Oosthuizen (WP)
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