At the beginning of 19th Century, a group of prisoners from the London prison fleet, started hitting a ball against the prison walls.
They also laid down certain rules, and at the same time, laid the foundation for one of the most wide-spread recreational sport in the world today – squash. Great Britain is considered to be the cradle of squash. English soldiers, who taught the residents of South Africa, India, Australia and New Zealand to play this sport are considered to be chiefly responsible for the development of squash in the colonies of Great Britain. From Britain, squash spread to the rest of Europe.
Australia is now the most successful squash nation, where the first squash courts on the continent were built-in 1913. On the North American continent, squash has been played from much earlier, about 1880. As an interesting note, there were squash courts aboard the Titanic.
While it is still not a very popular sport in Serbia, squash has gained great popularity as a sport around the world. It is a sport that is played on a court of defined dimensions and requires the use of racquets and hollow rubber balls. Squash can be played by two or four players. Squash players move quickly, making the sport an excellent cardiovascular workout.
The most important benefits of playing squash:
It develops physical agility – buckling, abruptly stopping, bending, jumping, running and sprinting are just some of the moves that the body performs while playing squash.
Squash promotes good hand-eye coordination in a way that motivates players to focus their vision on the ball and adjust their body and arms so they can return the ball with both the right intensity and to a precise spot.
The first courts in Serbia were at Kopaonik, in the Grand Hotel, 25 years ago. Today, we have professional players who compete at national and international tournaments, as well as a junior national team
It improves the flexibility of the body in conjunction with the racket. The player saves energy and reduces the chances of loss of points. By constantly playing, squash player will improve flexibility and ensure that his or her muscles get the most out of each game.
It develops better concentration. From the very beginning of the game, the player’s eyes must be sharply focused on the ball. Mental and visual concentration comes from focusing on the ball in play, while the peripheral vision concentrates on the movements of your opponent, hoping to catch him off guard.
Squash improves the cardiovascular system. The game includes running, jumping, and hopping in search of shots so that the heart and lungs are working efficiently.
The first courts in Serbia were at Kopaonik, in the Grand Hotel, 25 years ago. Today, we have professional players who compete at national and international tournaments, as well as a junior national team.
You can play squash in Serbia in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Subotica and Sombor. Besides that, one might use courts in the MK Resort on Kopaonik.
SquashLand is the first Serbian squash club and the home of the national team, boasting the most national and international achievements. All information you may need about squash is available once you get there – which equipment is used, where to buy it, basic instructions on how to play, or even help to find a partner to play with.
There are numerous professional and amateur tournaments that are played each season. Among the favourites are the Winter Cup, Junior State Championship, and Belgrade Trophy.
HOW TO PLAY SQUASH
Squash is played between two individuals (singles) or two teams of two (doubles) on a Squash Court. One player serves to start a rally which proceeds until one player hits the ball out or down or fails to hit the ball before it has bounced twice.
Squash can be played using two scoring options, traditional (International) scoring and point a rally scoring (PARS).
Squash players having a social game may modify the rules to their own requirements.