BEGA’s Troy Northey will return to the international squash circuit next month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The 38-year-old represented Australia during the 1990s and will now get another chance to shine at the 2011 Trans Tasman Test Series in September.
The two-match series will be held in late September at Nelson, New Zealand.
The event is normally held over three tests but was reduced because it clashes with the Rugby World Cup.
Northey said he was looking forward to the series.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be selected,” he said.
“It’s a team thing but I’m certainly going over to have a good hit.
“It’s very exciting.”
The squad will depart on September 24 and spend a week in New Zealand.
After training for the first couple of days, the Australians will play the home side twice in successive days.
“New Zealand’s team hasn’t been selected yet so they are a bit of an unknown at this stage,” Northey said.
Northey said he was picked by the Australian Masters Squash selection committee.
“The process involved first of all being nominated by your state and then being endorsed by another state; that was Queensland for me,” he said.
“The committee then has to choose the team from there.
“I have been selected as the 35 to 39 years representative.
“There is one male and female representative in each group and there will be 12 of us in total.”
The tour will wrap up with Northey and team competing in the annual New Zealand Squash Open.
“I think we have been invited to play in the Open to make up the numbers,” he said.
Beforehand, Northey will travel up to Rockhampton, Queensland for the Australian Squash Masters where he will compete against some of the nation’s best veterans.
Northey tasted success at the event last year by winning the Interstate Team Series of the championships, two decades after he took out the Master’s men’s doubles.
Northey said it was an “awesome” feeling to win the 2010 event.
“I couldn’t believe it to be honest,” he said.
“NSW hadn’t won a national event in 15 years so it was a pretty epic achievement.”
Northey said he will be using this year’s championship to prepare for the New Zealand tour.
“It will be a good hit out before I have a week of training in Sydney,” he said.
Northey joined the Bega Squash Club in 2006 and has been a regular fixture in division one.
He performed creditably on the national scene last year and his record included being crowned State 35-40 years Open Men’s champion.
Northey was a semi-finalist at the Bathurst Masters before winning the Sydney Masters Championship.
