IC Squash finishes 5th in the country

The men’s 1st team finished their BUCS season 5th overall after beating Oxford, Newcastle and Sheffield at the weekend. The team travelled to Birmingham to compete in the BUCS Premier stage which took place on the 27th and 28th January. The rewards for a season’s worth of tough training sessions were convincing wins against Oxford (5-0), Sheffield (4-1) and Newcastle (3-2).

Imperial lost to Oxford (2:3) back in November, while IC was playing without their strongest squad. For the season’s deciding weekend, Japan’s Seigo Masuda (World Ranking 315) was able to join the team and bring with him a wealth of experience at the top of the order. The team made a clean sweep in the eagerly anticipated re-match with Oxford, manifesting their ambition to finish top of their group. Sheffield lost convincingly to Imperial and, to add insult to injury, were the victims of a break in during the night at their rented accommodation. Our thoughts are with our fellow competitors as we look forward to a rematch next season in less challenging circumstances.

“Japan’s Seigo Masuda (World Ranking 315) was able to join IC”

The match against Newcastle was the highlight of the weekend, with IC Squash managing to come back from several matchballs down to pull off a tightly contested 3-2 win, despite Newcastle claiming more games overall. Marco Alves, who represented his native Portugal at junior level, soaked up intense pressure from his spirited opponent, who managed to draw level from two games down. Marco then showed his mental strength and technical quality in the decider to clinch victory in what was to be the deciding string.

Men’s 1st team captain Puvendren Subramaniam said: “It was a great weekend and it’s nice to finish the season on a positive note. We need all the available support from Sport Imperial, if we want to compete at the highest levels of squash in the BUCS setup”. The University of Birmingham, UWE and the University of Nottingham played for the title of best squash team in the UK, with UWE claiming the top spot. IC Squash will be competing in the prestigious Roehampton Cup over the weekend of the 3rd and 4th February and is looking forward to its first inaugural Doubles Tournament at Ethos on the 10th and 11th February.

Want to tone that physique but don’t have much time for training? Then try Squash! Squash provides a full body workout in rapid time. Get in contact with IC Squash (or drop us an email squash@imperial.ac.uk) and give it a go!