History-making Walker eyes Glasgow success
Thato Kala | Monday May 5, 2014 13:45
Walker made history by winning the country’s first gold medal in an international squash event in his maiden appearance for Botswana at the Men’s Individual All-Africa Championship in February last year. On his way to glory, he beat Zambia’s Kelvin Ndlovu.
He is elated to have bagged the Sportsman of the Year accolade that came with P20,000 prize money. “I am honoured and delighted to receive this award. I didn’t expect that a squash player could win over more accomplished and media covered sports. I must credit the BNSC for their fair and honest judgment. Politically, they have a tough job and they are handling it nobly,” he said.
His year is extremely busy as he finishes the season with the British Open and the Hong Kong Football Club Open where he is the defending champion. The coming weeks will be full of travel for him.
In the middle of what is traditionally a squash off-season, he will represent Botswana in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
He wants to achieve a lot more for the country after winning PSA Squash titles in the past two years. He won Botswana’s first ever squash title at the Dayton Open in 2011.
“It is always great to receive recognition but there is a danger of that affecting your desire. This will not be the case as I would like to achieve more for my own personal career but also representing and winning for Botswana.”
He points out that squash in Botswana went through a long slump because of lack of leadership. But he remains upbeat the current administrators of squash led by Tiego Rabash will steer the game to greater heights.
“Fortunately, the Botswana Squash Association has had an injection of energy and imagination from individuals who had previously competed at high levels and understand what is necessary both to grow the sport at social levels, grass-roots and elite levels to be attained in the future,” Walker said.
The 31-year-old star watched Botswana’s brightest squash prospect, 15-year-old Theo Pelonomi, in action in the Men’s World Team Championships last year. Walker believes the young lad has enough talent to become Botswana’s next top player.
“There is a long road to become a successful pro. Theo needs to have support early to gain the necessary experience and expertise so he is not left behind by the players around the world,” he warned.
Exposure, Walker said is essential so that Pelonomi develops an understanding of what it takes to be a world-class player.
He recommends that the youngster be sent to train overseas to gain experience.
The Botswana-born ace rose through the English junior ranks and excelled before changing to represent Botswana in 2011.
Walker moved to the United Kingdom in 1998 after getting a squash scholarship at Wycliffe School in Gloucestershire. His hopes to receive sponsorship at the highest level in the UK meant he had to acquire a British passport, in the process, becoming a dual citizen. At age 21, he lost his Botswana citizenship.
He picked up his racket at the tender age of eight courtesy of his mother, a former national squash player. Having shown so much promise in tennis, his squash loving family supported him to scale greater heights. At 15, Walker was ranked 12th in the world and he knew he had to move abroad if he wanted to progress in the game. He won gold in the World Squash Junior Championships and the 2000 Commonwealth Games.