Some of Europe’s most promising young squash players will have the opportunity to train under world-class coaches Laura Massaro, Danny Massaro and James Willstrop in Malta later this month. The initiative, supported by Olympic Solidarity, will be delivered by the Malta Squash Association with assistance from World Squash and the European Squash Federation (ESF).
The four-day coaching programme will run from 17 to 20 November at Malta’s National Squash Centre, a modern six-court facility that opened earlier this year. The centre includes an all-glass show court and two doubles courts, and is set to host squash at the 2027 Commonwealth Youth Games. The camp will be followed by the Malta Open, a PSA Satellite event.
Olympic Solidarity is a global initiative aimed at supporting National Olympic Committees (NOCs), particularly those with limited resources, by providing funding for athlete and coach development. The Malta programme will welcome 15 players under the age of 23, both male and female, along with five coaches representing National Federations whose NOCs sent fewer than 50 athletes to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Laura Massaro and James Willstrop, both former World No.1 players, are now among the leading coaches in international squash. Massaro currently coaches women’s World No.2 Hania El Hammamy, while Willstrop works with men’s World No.1 Mostafa Asal. Danny Massaro, a former England National Coach, is widely recognised for his expertise in performance psychology and tactical coaching, and previously coached Laura Massaro during her professional career.
Speaking ahead of the event, Laura Massaro said: “I’m super excited to be going to Malta as part of the Olympic Solidarity Programme U23 Camp, with World Squash, ESF and Malta Squash. I think it’s a programme that’s going to be really inclusive of Europe as a whole, particularly for those nations that weren’t as well represented at the Olympics in Paris. As we build towards squash being part of the Olympics in LA28, it’s a great opportunity for those nations. We’re looking forward to getting on court with them and offering something they may not have had before.”
Duncan Stahl, representing the Malta Squash Association, added: “We’re very proud to be delivering this Olympic Solidarity programme here in Malta. We’ve managed to bring together an outstanding coaching team who will offer invaluable insight both on and off the court. A huge thanks to Sport Malta for providing us with a world-class venue to host this international programme, which marks another important step in establishing Malta as a key hub for squash development.”
The event highlights Malta’s growing reputation within the sport and reinforces the country’s commitment to developing future generations of athletes through international collaboration and elite coaching opportunities.
