Sport
17 October, 2025
Locals aim to control the ‘T’
CAIRNS is serving up a world-class sporting spectacle this week, with the Cairns Squash International returning to Genesis Sportsworld from 15-19 October 2025.
The five-day tournament features 44 professional players from nine countries, competing for $18,000 in prize money and valuable world ranking points. Players have travelled from as far as Egypt, Pakistan, India, Malaysia and Canada to take part.
Event organiser and head coach at Genesis Sportsworld Marc Forster said the competition had grown into a prominent fixture on the international squash calendar.
“Around the world, there’s a pro-ranking series, so when we put tournaments on for a bit of cash and ranking points, the players turn up,” Mr Forster said.
“They’ve come from all over the world to play right here in Cairns.”
The professional matches run from Wednesday through to Sunday, with an open competition for North Queensland players and a junior bronze event kicking off over the weekend.
“By Friday night, we’ll have the pros, open players and juniors all competing under one roof,” Mr Forster said.
“It’s going to be a really full weekend of squash,” he said.
Squash is enjoying a resurgence in Cairns, thanks in part to the commitment of local coaches and clubs.
“We’ve got two professional coaches here, one full-time and one nearly full-time, and that’s pretty rare,” Mr Forster said.
“There are probably only about five clubs in Australia that have even one full-time coach, so what we’re building here is pretty special,” he said.
Mr Forster said new players were encouraged to get involved, with programs running for all ages, including juniors as young as four or five.
“We’ll get them at any age and try to get them to stick,” he said.
“Squash is cool, it’s fast, social and we just want people to enjoy it for life.”
Spectators are welcome to attend matches throughout the tournament, with entry open to the public.
The Cairns Squash International promises to be a highlight on the Far North Queensland sporting calendar, showcasing top-level competition while inspiring the next generation of players.
