2024 NASH Cup / Jack Fairs Open – Wrap Up
The Sixteenth Annual NASH Cup is in the books!
The event was bigger and better than ever. There are stories to tell and people to thank.
- 70 professionals from 21 countries did battle over 5 days in front of record crowds. Since 2008 the NASH Cup has now hosted over 300 individual athletes from 50 countries.
- The new Jack Fairs Open honoured Western’s long-time coach, and featured matches played in Chatham and Sarnia.
- The amateur draws returned for the first time since 2019 with 57 players from across the province competing in 4 divisions.
- Direct involvement of the PSA including on-site media assistance brought the tournament communications to a new level.
There were stunning upsets, and nearly a third of all matches played required a full 5 games to be decided.
It was a wonderful week, and a great kick-off to the 2024-25 squash season.
The NASH Cup – Presented by NASH Family Wealth Management
Our main draws made the jump from the PSA Challenger Tour to the PSA World Tour in 2024 meaning an increase in prize money and ranking points for players (Purse Data). This change, along with other upgrades, meant the tournament budget increased by over 50% from 2023. It also attracted the strongest field of players ever seen in London. 43 of 48 NASH Cup competitors were ranked within the PSA’s top 100. This tighter field resulted in longer matches and many upsets. By the quarter finals on Thursday evening six of the top sixteen (seeded) players had been beaten by unseeded rivals.
Both finals were hotly contested with each finishing in five games.
2024 Champions
Mohamad Zakaria
Egypt
World Rank on Entry: 62
World Rank Today: 41
Katie Malliff
England
World Rank on Entry: 38
World Rank Today: 35
Mohamad Zakaria is the 3rd youngest player in PSA history to reach the Top 50. He turned 17 on September 23rd.
The Jack Fairs Open – Presented by VetCPA
This new tournament was established to honour the legacy of Western’s long time coach Jack Fairs, a remarkable pioneer of the sport we all cherish. The tournament is hosted across three venues in Southwestern Ontario – Maple City Squash Club (Chatham); Sarnia Riding Club; and London Squash & Fitness. The field of players is focused on Canada’s rising stars, providing a platform for those looking to raise their PSA ranking and players participating in their first professional event.
2024 Jack Fairs Open Champion
Brett Schille
Canada
World Rank on Entry: 190
World Rank Today: 177
Brett Schille with Peg Fairs. As party of the win Brett received a wildcard spot in next months Toronto Open PSA Tournament.
Squash Development
The NASH Cup has a long tradition of supporting squash at every level and is working to help Canada’s players build into the sports inclusion in the 2028 Olympics (Los Angeles). Since its launch in 2008, the NASH Cup has helped raise funds for squash programming for junior through university levels in the London region. Over $5,000 was donated in 2024 and the tournament has now raised over $100,000. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the 50/50 draws; to Chris Lee for his generous contribution of custom corn hole equipment; and to all who participated in the Lightning Matches; Doubles Calcutta and junior women’s squash lessons (hosted by Nicole Bunyan and Georgia Adderley).
The NASHioanals Amateur Draws
The NASHionals returns for the first time since 2019 with participants from across the province competing in 4 divisions.
2024 LSFC NASHionals Amateur Champions
A – Bhangoo Jagroop – London
B – Johnny Potmesil – Toronto
C – Jordan Nash – London
D – Mark Vander Vies – London
* 2025 will run September 26/27; Entry will open August 1st. All divisions capped at 16 players.
Thank You Billets and Volunteers
This is a volunteer run, not-for-profit event. A big thank you goes out to the members of London Squash and Fitness who open their club to this event each year and provide such amazing support. Thank you also to Club Manager Jeff Tudhope and Club Professional Chris Hanebury for all the extra hours that go into making this event happen.
The NASH Cup Committee is made up of over 20 individuals who work year-round to bring this event to life. Their efforts are what make this event happen.
The NASH Cup is one of very few tournaments that billets players with local families. Organizing this annually is a huge undertaking and Phill Stables and Tyrrel De Langley make it happen. Thank you to all our host families in 2024. It means a huge amount to the tournament and the players.
Thank you Sponsors
This event cannot happen without the significant financial and in-kind support of our sponsors. Every dollar of support goes back into the event. The PSA World Tour is expanding, total prize money was up 22% last season . To maintain our World Tour Copper status our purse must continue to rise. The increase is about 10% annually to 2028. The 2028 Olympics will draw more and more attention to squash. Additional sponsors and patrons are welcomed.
Please be sure to thank and support all sponsors.
NASH Cup / Jack Fair Open Galleries
2024 Pictures are amazing and will be added to the galleries in the days ahead…
Thank you to Foundery Digital Marketing Group for all your help with www.nashcup.com
Feedback
We are always looking for feedback to improve the NASH Cup experience for players; billets; spectators; and sponsors. Please forward any comments/ideas to jay.nash@nbc.ca
Mark Your Calendars
The tournaments will return September 22-27, 2025
Sponsors; Tickets; & Billets now being confirmed….Professional entry will open in the new year.
