By Siya Cele.
Caption: Dewald van Niekerk, of SA Country Districts, heads the men’s field for the Assore Classic to be played at Parkview Squash Centre in Johannesburg from July 23 to 27, 2026. Photo Credit: Grant Pitcher/ Gallo Images.
South Africa’s leading players Hayley Ward and Dewald van Niekerk will face a strong international challenge when the Assore series resumes at Parkview Squash Centre in Johannesburg this week.
The Assore Classic, which features both men’s and women’s events, boasts a combined prize fund of R341 000, making it one of the most significant competitions on the South African squash calendar.
A strong Egyptian contingent will add an international flavour to the event, headed by Seif Tamer, ranked 110th in the world, and Menna Walid, who is currently No 79 in the women’s rankings.
They will provide formidable opposition for top seeds Ward (Eastern Province) and Van Niekerk (SA Country Districts), who are ranked 64th and 79th respectively in the world.
Among the SA players, 2026 Growthpoint SA Nationals men’s champion Damian Groenewald (Northerns) and provincial colleague Helena Hudson will be eager to make an impression as well.
Van Niekerk, who has been competing on the PSA Tour since 2022, welcomed the opportunity for South African players to test themselves against overseas opposition on home soil.
“The development and benefits for squash players are amazing, and the fact that we are having tournaments with prize funds of $6 000 and higher has a massive impact on the development of the sport,” he said.
“It benefits the PSA players a lot because there are more opportunities to earn ranking points, but it is also a huge advantage for players who are not regularly competing on the PSA Tour to get the opportunity to play in these tournaments.”
“The bigger the tournaments, the more points you can earn, so there is a huge benefit in terms of developing your ranking and your squash. The intensity is higher when more players come from overseas to hunt ranking points, and that is a massive benefit for all the South African players.”
For Van Niekerk, the presence of international players also provides an opportunity to experience different playing styles and learn from opponents who might otherwise only be encountered when travelling abroad.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge. It’s nice to have events which include overseas players because often when I play abroad, I am the overseas player in those tournaments,” he said.
“It’s great to have a local event where overseas players come to our country to compete. I know some of the players are very excited to come here and to experience our country.”
“It’s also about the exposure you get from playing different types of players. Not every squash player is the same – they have different techniques and different ways of approaching the game – and it’s good for the younger players to learn from them.”
“One of the things that helps you develop quickly is observing what higher-ranked players do, how they approach games and how they prepare mentally and physically.”
“You don’t necessarily want to copy everything another player does, but it’s good to observe them and take the things that might work for you.”
Van Niekerk said the Assore series, which presented a schedule of tournaments at different levels during the year, had become an important part of the development of South African squash.
“Assore have been an incredible sponsor of this series and I’m really grateful for that. They are not only helping players who are starting out but also those PSA players who have been on the Tour for a while.
“It’s incredible to see how squash is growing through events like these, and hopefully it continues going forward. Craig van der Wath has done a wonderful job in staging these tournaments and I’m very excited for this one.”
Ward, who claimed her first Growthpoint SA Nationals title this year, will also have to be at her best against a strong international field.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge, and although my world ranking might be a bit higher than some of the others, I know that the Egyptians are formidable players and it will be a tough week of squash,” she said.
The EP player took a short break after her Nationals triumph but is now ready to return to competitive action as she builds towards a busy end to the season.
“I had to take a short break after the Growthpoint Nationals and I’m looking forward to getting back into the swing of things, with a few other tournaments coming up before the end of the year.”
With substantial ranking points on offer and a mixture of established South African players, rising local talent and international competitors, the Assore series promises another important week for the development of the sport in the country.
This event will be followed by a second tournament with the same status from October 20 to 24.