THE opportunity to win Island Games squash medals does not come around that often so Jersey’s squash team are hoping to make the most of it later this month.

Meet the team: Back row: Mike Hopkins, Scott Gautier and Rob Hickling. Front row: Nick Taylor (player coach), Sarah Taylor, Kate Cadigan, Paul Frankland (manager). (Mark Le Roux was absent) Picture: JON GUEGAN (01223425)

As squash makes only its second ever appearance on the menu of sports on offer at a Games, having featured in Shetland 2005, the Island team will be one of the strongest competing in the Isle of Wight.

They have a lot to live up to having won team gold six years ago, along with medals in the five other events but with Commonwealth Games stars and former professionals among their ranks this team will be one to watch.

The manager is Paul Frankland (40), former Island Games captain who led his team to six medals in Shetland 2005. Nick Taylor (38) is player/coach and a former world number 14.

The team
Paul Frankland (41): Squash team manager. Former student at Fullbrook Secondary in Weighbridge, Surrey. Represented England at junior level and former CI and Jersey champion. Won three medals in Shetland 2005 (team gold, mixed doubles gold, men’s doubles silver). Hoping for the team to win six out of six medals – preferably all gold.
Did you know? Paul was born in Scotland but played for England.
Sporting idol: Squash player Jahangir Khan.

Nick Taylor (39): Director of Squash, Jersey. Former student at Crompton House School in Oldham. Going to first Games and will compete in the men’s singles (top seed), team event (number one) and mixed doubles. Former world No 14 and holder of ten world tour titles. Twice European champion and an England number three who won nine senior international caps. Going for gold in the team and individual and hopeful of a medal in the mixed.
Did you know? Nick played Wimbledon tennis champion Stefan Edberg at squash and once coached Tommy Hilfiger’s daughter in New York.
Sporting idols: Roger Federer, Tiger Woods, Jahangir Khan (ten years squash world number one).

Mike Hopkins (34): Plasterer. Former student at Mont Nicolle and Les Quennevais. Won individual silver and team gold in 2005 and going in the team, individual and men’s doubles this time around where he hopes to medal and help the team to gold. A former professional squash player, who broke into the world’s top 80 he has been to two Commonwealth Games (2002, 2010).
Did you know? Mike is a father of two boys, aged three and five and was the first person from Jersey to win a PSA Tour event (Santiago Open 2002).
Sporting idol: Jahangir Khan.

Rob Hickling (49): Lawyer. Played in Shetland and won team gold. Goes in the team and individual event this time and hoping ‘to put in a few swashbuckling performances’.Ten times Jersey champion and seven times CI men’s champion.
Did you know? Rob briefly worked for a music magazine.
Sporting idols: Chiyonofuji (aka the Wolf), a 1980s sumo grand champion and Michael Clarke, Aberdeen’s maestro of modern dance/enfant terrible). Both blend art and athleticism.

Mark Le Roux (28): Business development, Aviva Life. Going to his second Games. Making a return in the team event and men’s doubles and hoping to come away with two gold medals after finishing with gold and silver in Shetland 2005.
Did you know? Mark was one of the team members in the Walkovers 4Island Cricket Challenge in 2009. The effort helped raise £22,000 for cystic fibrosis.
Sporting idol: Tiger Woods.

Scott Gautier (23): Works at Pentagon and former Victoria College student. Making his Island Games debut and will compete in the team event. Is a skilled sportsman in more than just squash having represented Jersey in cricket, football and rugby. Hopes to gain valuable experience in the Isle of Wight for future Games and help the team to a gold medal.
Did you know? Scott once played Tim Henman at tennis.
Sporting idol: Roger Federer.

Kate Cadigan (31): Paramedic. Going to her fourth Games having competed in athletics in Gibraltar 1995 and Jersey 1997 then squash in 2005. Hoping to add to her medal tally which stands at five, three from athletics (1997: 400m relay bronze; 1995: 100m and 400m relay silver) and two from squash (2005: mixed doubles and team gold). The current Dorset county squash captain and representative at last year’s Commonwealth Games, she is entered in the team and individual singles and ladies’ doubles. Hopes her training pays off and she plays to her full potential.
Did you know? Kate is addicted to watching The West Wing (‘ten years too late’).
Sporting idol: Kelly Holmes.

Sarah Taylor (36): Former student at Stamford High school in Ashton-under-Lyne in Lancashire. Making her Games debut. Ladies’ number one going in the individual, ladies’ and mixed doubles and the team event. A former Cheshire junior champion and Cheshire ladies’ captain, she is the Jersey Closed and Open champion of 2010. Hoping to win team gold and medals in the other events.
Did you know? Sarah speaks her own language which has been passed down through her family.
Sporting idol: Five times world squash champion Sarah Fitzgerald.

SCHEDULE
Venue: Westridge Squash Centre in Ryde
Teams: Menorca, Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Bermuda, Jersey, Isle of Wight, Shetland.
Sunday 26 June: Team event
Monday 27 June: Team semi-finals and finals; first round singles.
Tuesday 28 June: Singles rounds 2-3.
Wednesday 29 June: Singles including finals.
Thursday 30 June: Doubles, men’s and women’s.
Friday 1 July: Mixed doubles.

Who is in form, who is expected to bring back the medals and who are the star players in the squad?
Nick Taylor is seeded number one for the men’s individual competition and the team are seeded for the gold medal.
Mike Hopkins and Mark Le Roux will be tough to beat in the men’s doubles. Rob Hickling has been training very hard and will be a big player at number three, out of four, in the team event with his vast experience.
Sarah Taylor and Kate Cadigan are both playing well and will be hoping for a medal in the doubles and singles but the ladies’ events are very strong.
How have your preparations gone?
Preparations have gone very well and it looks like people will be peaking at the event. This is our end of the season so we have got plenty of squash in our legs. Having a break from April to the beginning of May turned out to be a very good choice because we are really in the swing of it now.

What is the biggest challenge your team is facing?
The Cayman Islands will be our toughest challenge. Players seem to be all fit except for a couple of niggles so we need to all keep injury free.

What are you most looking forward to at this year’s Games and why is it always such a successful event?
We are really looking forward to playing away as a team. We have two players, Scott Gautier and Sarah Taylor, who have not played in an Island Games before so it will be a great experience for the players who have been before and also for the new ones.

Are squash players the fittest athletes at the Games?
Because all our players are not full time this is a tough question to answer. But in general squash is the toughest physical sport there is and squash players are the fittest athletes on the planet – fact!