Fitz-Gerald & David In Thai Drive For Squash Australia's world No1 and four-times world champion Sarah Fitz-Gerald and Malaysia's twice world junior champion Nicol David led a two-day drive to promote squash in Thailand that was hailed by Dr Sunchai Anuman Rajadhon, Vice President of the Thailand Squash Rackets Association, as "one of the biggest things that has ever happened here." The visit to Bangkok represented the first stage of a ten-day tour of Asia, hosted by the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA), in which David, the 18-year-old Asian champion, and Fitz-Gerald, the President of WISPA, led coaching clinics with youngsters, met the country's media, played exhibition matches and competed against top Thai talent. "Even though we're a small country, we work hard to promote squash - with an emphasis on youth," continued Dr Rajadhon. "To have the world No1 here, and Nicol David, who has been winning events in Asia since before she became a teenager, is fantastic. Our future clearly lies with our juniors, and the way Sarah and Nicol inspired them was truly wonderful." The pair first visited the Royal Bangkok Sports Club, which boasts more than 8,000 members across two separate sites, each of which has four squash courts. An enthusiastic crowd saw Nicol take on the Thailand men's No2 Poowis Poonsiri and Sarah challenge the country's No1 and three-times national champion Chatchawin Tangjaitrong. [Sarah and Nicol David (2nd right) prepare for action against Chatchawin Tangjaitrong (left) and Poowis Poonsiri (far right), respectively, at the Royal Bangkok Sports Club]. Poowis, 18, a law student at Bangkok's Thammasat University and son of club coach and former Thai No1 Peerapon Poonsiri, went down 9-7 9-5. "Why do you look so tired?" joked one of his club team mates after his drubbing by Nicol. In the other best-of-three challenge, Sarah overcame Chatchawin 9-5 9-2. "That was a totally amazing experience, truly an honour," said the 23-year-old who has just graduated in Economics from Williams College in Williamstown in the USA. "I didn't expect to beat Sarah, but I was really excited by the opportunity of playing the top lady in the world." In a presentation to the WISPA party afterwards, the club's squash chairman Anmol Pathela said: "It's been an honour to have the world number one and Asian number one here playing our top men - nothing like this has ever happened here before." [Nicol and Sarah welcomed at the Royal Bangkok Sports Club by the club's squash chairman Anmol Pathela (left) and committee member Natchai Taworntawat]. The Bangkok WISPA visit coincided with celebrations of early fruits of the TSRA's recently-launched 'Junior Development Programme'. Thirteen juniors from the scheme participated in the Singapore Junior Open in the first week of June, with Anantana Prasertratanakun winning the Girls U-13 title, and Anya Saengtian taking third place in the Girls U-15 event - success which achieved rare coverage on the front sports page of the 'Thai Rath' national newspaper, otherwise dominated by the football World Cup! Many of the youngsters are educated at Bangkok's exclusive Vajiravudh College, whose Rector Dr Chai-anan Samudvanija is also Chairman of the TSRA.   Dr Samudvanija hosted the second day's activities at the six-court Rajpruek Club, one of the country's newest luxury sports clubs, with around 5,000 members. Sarah and Nicol gave clinics for the enthusiastic juniors then, with the gallery of the main glass-back court packed with fans and dignitaries, again competed against top men. Both WISPA stars had to fight back from behind in their matches, Nicol from 5-0 down in the second to beat 21-year-old Thai No3 Apirom Na Nakorn 9-3 10-8, and Sarah from 6-8 down in the first to conquer Poowis Poonsiri 10-8 9-3. "Do you breathe through your skin - you don't look tired?" asked TSRA committee member Owart Phromratanapongse in the question-and-answer session after the matches. Nicol and Sarah were besieged by autograph-hunting juniors after the session, many of whom now have photographs with them and their star coaches. "We were overwhelmed by the enthusiasm shown to us by these youngsters," said Fitz-Gerald "Experiences like these make it all so worthwhile." Four TV channels were represented at a press conference also staged at the Rajpruek Club, together with reporters and photographers from various daily newspapers - with the result that the World Cup gave up part of the opening sports page of the 'Daily News' the following day to a report and photograph of the WISPA group. Nicol David told the attendees that "Thai squash has been really progressing in recent times, and it's clear that a great deal of effort is being made." The finale of the day was a sumptuous dinner hosted by the club in honour of the WISPA visit, which was attended by representatives of more than 20 Thailand squash clubs and dignitaries including Chiraya Issarankul Na Ayudhya, the second President of the TSRA and a former national champion and Burapa Attakhor, a former Vice-President of the Association. In a speech thanking Sarah and Nicol for visiting Thailand - "and beating our men" - Dr Samudvanija conceded that "the TSRA is quite young compared with the organisations in countries like Australia and England, and we have limited facilities, but we will do our best to improve our game, especially with the juniors. "We hope we will be able to attract coaches from other countries, not only to train our players but also our coaches. We are so grateful to Sarah and Nicol for coming here and inspiring us so much," the TSRA Chairman added. The WISPA tour now moves on to Brunei and Sarawak.    [Sarah in traditional Thai costume, pictured by Bangkok's famous Wat Arun temple]