World's Best Squash Players Meet at Base of Sue

By Todd McClamroch in News on Oct 11, 2007 4:25PM

Chicago hosted some of the world's top marathoners last weekend and is awaiting the arrival of boxers from 120 countries to compete in the 2007 AIBA World Boxing Championship later this month. What you might have missed is that the world's top squash players are in town for MetroSquash with Sue at the Field Museum.

Today and tomorrow, squashers (as we like to call them) from Egypt, Scotland and the UK will be competing in a glass-enclosed court at the base of the Field Museum's T. Rex, Sue. John W. McCarter, President and CEO of the Field Museum commented, "We are thrilled to play host to this rare, once-in-a-lifetime event combining sports, education and the world's most complete T. Rex fossil at The Field Museum,"

Chicagoist is lost on the correlation between squash and T. Rex other than T. Rex used to squash things, maybe. It is likely just a way of bragging that our city has a T. Rex and most squash centers or 2016 Olympic hopeful cities do not. Take that Rio, Madrid and Tokyo! (Squash is on the short list for the next sport to be added to the Olympics.)

But we digress. This event benefits METROsquash, a program that combines squash, education and community service to empower inner-city middle-school students in Chicago. Competitor Amr Shabana, ranked number one in the world, will be giving a clinic to 1,000 Chicago Public School students today and tomorrow. These same kids would be at the prime age to compete in the 2016 Olympics in squash.

There are games scheduled throughout the day today and tomorow, but the headline event is Friday, when Shabana takes on eighth-ranked John White at 8:30.

Learn more by watching their commercial online or visiting the MetroSquash website.