Southampton, NY — If you have ever seen a hardball doubles squash match, you were most likely intrigued by it. Prior to the start of school, there is an opportunity for college-age players to try doubles squash. The Elmaleh Youth Doubles Summer Road Trip will be held at the Squash in the Hamptons Club (August 17th – 19th) and at the University Club of Boston (August 21st – 23rd). The event is an opportunity for new and experienced doubles players in the 18 to 25 age range to learn and develop their skills in the game of doubles squash. The event will have divisions for men’s, women’s, and mixed teams. There are several players currently seeking partners, especially in the women’s division.
National Intercollegiate Doubles Championship: Did you know there is a National Intercollegiate Doubles Championship? While doubles is not a standard part of dual match play in college squash, an intercollegiate doubles tournament has been held annually since the late 1980s. A doubles tournament was held sporadically in the 1940s and 1950s, but after the 1956 tournament, there was no formal intercollegiate doubles competition for over thirty years. In 1988, William Tredwell “Treddy” Ketcham helped bring back the doubles tournament. A former player at Yale who served as the USSRA president from 1965 to 1967, Ketcham was a major proponent of the doubles game. He was also an accomplished player; between 1965 and 1974, he won the USSRA senior (age 50+) doubles title seven times, playing with four different partners. The intercollegiate doubles tournament was renamed in his honor in 1998. The Ketcham Cup is typically held during the semester break in New York City.
The Elmaleh Project: The Elmaleh Project’s goal is to build interest in the hardball doubles game among players under 25. To date it has focused on the intercollegiate players and the National Intercollegiate Doubles Championships (Ketcham Cup), the National Junior Doubles Championships, and a National U25 Championship. The project is committed to ensuring the game’s survival and prevent it from being relegated to history.
Victor Elmaleh, the project’s namesake, has been a doubles player for over sixty years. He has a successful real estate firm and is a patron of the arts, who started playing squash in his early thirties.
Contact Information: If you are interested in participating in the Elmaleh Project, please contact Gary Waite (416-294-7111).
