Team England announces squash team set to compete at the Commonwealth Games 2022

Nine athletes have been selected as part of Team England’s Squash team for the home Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this summer.

Current Commonwealth Games gold medallist James Willstrop and World No.6 Sarah-Jane Perry are just two of the world-class names set to chase podium finishes at The University of Birmingham Hockey and Squash Centre from 29 July to 8 August.

The four female players to represent Team England are Alison Waters, Georgina Kennedy, Lucy Turmel and Sarah-Jane Perry. The male players are Adrian Waller, Daryl Selby, Declan James, James Willstrop and Patrick Rooney. The squad features a formidable blend of youth and experience and includes six former Commonwealth Games medallists and three debutants.

Team England will send a team of over 400 athletes to compete at Birmingham 2022 who will be looking to capitalise on the once in a lifetime opportunity to bring home success in their own country.

The nine Squash players to represent Team England across Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles are:

• Adrian Waller, London – With three European Team Championship titles under his belt, Waller is in a strong position for the home Games and will be looking to build on his silver medal win in the Men’s Doubles event at the 2018 Gold Coast Games
• Alison Waters, London – Waters will be making her fifth Commonwealth Games appearance for Team England this year and, with a silver and bronze Commonwealth medal to her name as well as four silver World Doubles medals, she will be aiming for gold in Birmingham
• Daryl Selby, Colchester – Having previously taken home a bronze and silver Commonwealth medal in the Men’s Doubles event, World Doubles silver medallist Selby is going for gold at this year’s home Commonwealth Games
• Declan James, Nottingham – James had a successful Gold Coast games in 2018, winning bronze in the Men’s Doubles event. He will be looking to improve on his past success in front of a home crowd this year and capitalise on the gold medal he won last month at the World Doubles Championships alongside James Willstrop
• Georgina Kennedy, Beckenham – Harvard graduate Kennedy will be making her Commonwealth Games debut this year. As one of the brightest talents on the PSA World Tour, ranked 9^th in the world, Kennedy is a major contender
• James Willstrop, Harrogate – Willstrop will represent Team England at his fifth Commonwealth Games this year. Having won multiple bronze, silver and gold medals across Singles, Mixed Doubles and Men’s Doubles, Willstrop is aiming to build upon his past successes
• Lucy Turmel, Ipswich – As the youngest member of the Squash team and with numerous English and British junior championship titles to her name, Turmel recently broke into the world’s top 20 and is set to make her Commonwealth Games debut
• Patrick Rooney, St Helens – Rooney will make his Commonwealth Games debut in Birmingham this year having broken into the world’s top 20 earlier this month
• Sarah-Jane Perry, Kenilworth – World No. 6 Perry will be making her second Commonwealth Games appearance for Team England following her silver medal performance in the Women’s Singles event at the Gold Coast Games in 2018

Team England is one of the most successful Commonwealth Games squash nations, winning 38 of the 100 medals since squash was introduced in 1998. Their most successful Games was on home soil in Glasgow in 2014 where they claimed 9 out of the 15 medals on offer.

Speaking to Team England on his selection, James Willstrop said:

“I’m really excited to be representing Team England at this year’s Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. To compete on home soil in front of my family and friends makes it incredibly special.

“The Games hold a very special place in my heart and I have so many wonderful memories competing alongside my team mates over the last four events.

“Winning gold at the Gold Coast is perhaps the biggest highlight of my career and I’ll be giving my best and hoping to land a podium finish once again and do my country proud!”

Sarah-Jane Perry said:

“It’s awesome to have the official confirmation and it feels amazing to be selected. It’s been a very strange couple of years so it has been brilliant to have the Games to focus on. I’m really looking forward to it and I’m fully focused.

“It’s a very similar landscape to last time in terms of how the rankings are panning out so I’ll be doing everything I can to beat the one that performs the best. We’ve got a good chance in the doubles so we’ll be hyper focused on landing a gold medal.”

Lucy Turmel said:

“It’s a dream to be selected to represent England and compete at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games with such a great group of people. I’ve worked really hard to get to this point. It been a huge goal of mine and it wasn’t easy to get here.

“To have been selected for the team means the absolute world to me. It’s my biggest achievement to date. I’m excited to continue to work really hard from now until then so I’m in the best position possible to contribute to Team England on squash’s biggest stage.”

Team England’s Chef de Mission, Mark England OBE, welcomed the athletes to the team: “We’re delighted to welcome nine squash players to Team England for the home Commonwealth Games this summer. This incredibly talented team includes a number of previous Commonwealth Games medallists. I’m excited to see them compete over the 11 days this summer and watch them ‘Bring it Home’ in Birmingham.”

The Commonwealth Games is a multi-sport event with a fully integrated programme of para sport disciplines and this year’s Games promises to be extra special with full stadiums and arenas after Tokyo 2020 took place behind closed doors. Birmingham 2022 is set to have the largest ever female and para sport programme in history after a new discipline of Women’s T20 Cricket, and Beach Volleyball and Para Table Tennis were confirmed.

Watch our home heroes in action and buy tickets to the Games now at: https://www.birmingham2022.com/tickets