By Alan Thatcher

June 20, 2013 - 4:37am

0 comments

David and Gaultier top seeds in World Games in Colombia

20 June 2013

From HOWARD HARDING

Malaysia’s world number one Nicol David is seeded to win her third successive World Games squash title when the ninth edition of the event takes place in Cali, Colombia, from 25 July to 4 August.

The World Games, first held in 1981, are an international multi-sport event – designed for sports or disciplines or events within a sport that are not contested in the Olympic Games. The World Games, contested every four years, are organised and governed by the International World Games Association (IWGA), under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The squash championships will take place at the Canas Gordas Comfenalco Club - featuring an all-glass showcourt – from 2-4 August.

After winning her first women’s World Games gold medal in Germany in 2005, record seven-time world champion David successfully defended the title in the 2009 Games in Kaohsiung, Chinese Taipei.

A new men’s champion is assured: France’s world number two Gregory Gaultier will be the event’s top seed, while second seed Peter Barker, the world No7, will be hoping to keep the title in English hands.

Local interest in the men’s event will be led by Miguel Angel Rodriguez, the world No19 from Bogota who is the second highest-ranked South American of all-time.

Past World Games gold medallists also include Nick Matthew (England), Peter Nicol (England), Ahmed Barada (Egypt) and Sarah Fitz-Gerald (Australia).

Players from 20 nations will be represented in the 2013 squash championships, as below:

Australia: Cameron Pilley, Ryan Cuskelly, Donna Urquhart, Rachael Grinham
Brazil: Thaisa Serafini
Canada: Shawn Delierre, Samantha Cornett
Colombia: Miguel Angel Rodriguez, Bernardo Samper, Catalina Pelaez, Laura Tovar Perez
Egypt: Tarek Momen, Omar Mosaad, Raneem El Weleily, Omneya Abdel Kawy
England: Peter Barker, Tom Richards, Emma Beddoes, Sarah-Jane Perry
France: Gregory Gaultier, Mathieu Castagnet, Camille Serme
Germany: Simon Rosner, Raphael Kandra, Franziska Hennes
Guyana: Mary Fung-A-Fat
Hungary: Edina Szombati
India: Harinder Pal Sandhu, Mahesh Mangaonkar, Dipika Pallikal, Joshana Chinappa
Jamaica: Christopher Binnie
Japan: Ryosei Kobayashi, Misaki Kobayashi
Kuwait: Abdullah Al Muzayen
Malaysia: Ong Beng Hee, Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan, Nicol David, Low Wee Wern
Mexico: Samantha Teran
Netherlands: Laurens Jan Anjema, Natalie Grinham
Peru: Diego Elias
Russia: Alina Tuzlukova
USA: Julian Illingworth, Christopher Gordon