Ukraine Capitalises On WISPA Russian Tour Ukraine’s top player Roman Dolinich thought nothing of taking a 90-minute flight to St Petersburg from his home in Kiev for the opportunity to meet and play with the two squash stars visiting Russia’s second largest city as part of the nine-day tour of the country organised by the Women’s International Squash Players’ Association.  Roman Dolinich The WISPA visit, led by Australia’s five-times world champion Sarah Fitz-Gerald and world No5 Vanessa Atkinson, from the Netherlands, is the latest initiative in the Association’s continuing drive to promote women’s squash around the world. Whilst squash is in its infancy in Russia, the sport is even less developed in neighbouring Ukraine. Dolinich is based at the Aquarium Fitness Centre in Kiev, the largest such facility the country. However, such is the enthusiasm for squash being generated by Dolinich and his colleagues at the Aquarium that the one-court centre will be augmented by a further three courts before the end of the year. Dolinich is also leading a bid to establish the country’s first national federation, based at the Aquarium. “We have had a lot of help from the from the World Squash Federation (WSF) and now hope that the new organisation will be fully established within the next three months,” said the 25-year-old. Dolinich was revisiting the five-court Hypersquash Centre in St Petersburg, primary host of the WISPA visit to the city, where a year ago he won the St Petersburg Open. “It was very exciting to play both Sarah and Vanessa, and meet the WISPA team, and I would very much like to host a similar event to this in our country in the future,” said the avid squash enthusiast. In July, Dolinich is staging the “Senior Aquarium Open”, to which players from Eastern Europe, Russia and the Baltic countries will be invited. While in St Petersburg, he received a phone call from local company Tez Tour, confirming that they would sponsor this new event – the first in the Ukraine. Further news from home during his stay revealed that a major TV network in the Ukraine had screened a short feature on squash in one of its popular magazine programmes – marking the sport’s first TV exposure in the country! “We proposed the idea to this TV network some time ago, so I am so glad they followed up our suggestion – and I l k forward to seeing it when I get home,” said the tireless squash promoter. WISPA Director Andrew Shelley added: “We are focussed on Russia, but to meet, talk to and help Roman and his efforts in Ukraine is an unexpected but welcome bonus for our visit.”