British Open 2009 - Qualificatons Day1
08-Sep-09 20:48 Filed in: Squash
British Open started with men’s main draw qualifications. Qualifications are played at The Northern Club in Didsbury, Manchester on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Northern facilitates also womens’ qualifications and masters, both starting on Wednesday.
In total 32 players fighting for 8 qualifier positions including for example Mansoor Zaman (PAK). Zaman’s highest ranking was 11 which has dropped because he could not participate into two major tournaments due to sickness, but as you can see from the results he is in good fit and needed only 25 mins to beat Alex Bowden (ENG). On Wednesday the toughest match will be Mansoor Zaman against Kashif Shuja (NZ) who also needed less than half an hour in his match against Adam Murrils (ENG).
Robbie Temple ENG bt Chris Fuller ENG 3-1 (11-6, 5-11, 11-8, 11-7) 58m
Renan Lavigne FRA bt Khawaja Adil Maqbool PAK 3-0 (11-9, 13-11, 11-6) 41m
Martin Knight NZ bt Eddie Charlton ENG 3-2 (6-11, 5-11, 11-8, 11-3, 11-5) 84m
Amr Swelim EGY bt Shaun Le Roux ENG 3-2 (11-8, 8-11, 11-4, 4-11, 11-9) 66m
Yasir Butt PAK bt Lewis Walters ENG 3-0 (11-5, 11-3, 11-5) 31m
Chris Ryder ENG bt Arthur Gaskin IRE 3-2 (11-13, 11-9, 11-9, 8-11, 11-3) 84m
Steve Coppinger RSA bt Clinton Leeuw RSA 3-0 (11-7, 11-6, 12-10) 49m
Chris Simpson ENG bt Rob Sutherland WAL 3-0 (11-9, 11-7, 11-6) 39m
Aaron Francomb AUS bt Ben Ford ENG 3-1(3-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-4) 50m
Campell Grayson NZ bt Tom Pashley ENG 3-2 (3-11, 10-12, 11-4, 11-6, 11-7) 68m
Kashif Shuja NZ bt Adam Murrils ENG 3-0 (11-5, 11-4, 11-8) 27m
Mansoor Zaman PAK bt Alex Bowden ENG 3-0 (11-2, 11-4, 11-3) 25m
Simon Rösner GER bt Anthony Graham ENG 3-0 (13-11, 11-5, 11-8) 30m
Alan Clyne SCO bt Julien Balbo FRA 3-0 (11-8, 11-3, 13-11) 49m
Mohd Ali Anwar Reda EGY bt Peter Billson ENG 3-0 (12-10, 11-8, 11-8) 34m
Stephane Galifi FRA bt John Rooney IRE (9-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-6, 11-4) 69m
In total 32 players fighting for 8 qualifier positions including for example Mansoor Zaman (PAK). Zaman’s highest ranking was 11 which has dropped because he could not participate into two major tournaments due to sickness, but as you can see from the results he is in good fit and needed only 25 mins to beat Alex Bowden (ENG). On Wednesday the toughest match will be Mansoor Zaman against Kashif Shuja (NZ) who also needed less than half an hour in his match against Adam Murrils (ENG).
Robbie Temple ENG bt Chris Fuller ENG 3-1 (11-6, 5-11, 11-8, 11-7) 58m
Renan Lavigne FRA bt Khawaja Adil Maqbool PAK 3-0 (11-9, 13-11, 11-6) 41m
Martin Knight NZ bt Eddie Charlton ENG 3-2 (6-11, 5-11, 11-8, 11-3, 11-5) 84m
Amr Swelim EGY bt Shaun Le Roux ENG 3-2 (11-8, 8-11, 11-4, 4-11, 11-9) 66m
Yasir Butt PAK bt Lewis Walters ENG 3-0 (11-5, 11-3, 11-5) 31m
Chris Ryder ENG bt Arthur Gaskin IRE 3-2 (11-13, 11-9, 11-9, 8-11, 11-3) 84m
Steve Coppinger RSA bt Clinton Leeuw RSA 3-0 (11-7, 11-6, 12-10) 49m
Chris Simpson ENG bt Rob Sutherland WAL 3-0 (11-9, 11-7, 11-6) 39m
Aaron Francomb AUS bt Ben Ford ENG 3-1(3-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-4) 50m
Campell Grayson NZ bt Tom Pashley ENG 3-2 (3-11, 10-12, 11-4, 11-6, 11-7) 68m
Kashif Shuja NZ bt Adam Murrils ENG 3-0 (11-5, 11-4, 11-8) 27m
Mansoor Zaman PAK bt Alex Bowden ENG 3-0 (11-2, 11-4, 11-3) 25m
Simon Rösner GER bt Anthony Graham ENG 3-0 (13-11, 11-5, 11-8) 30m
Alan Clyne SCO bt Julien Balbo FRA 3-0 (11-8, 11-3, 13-11) 49m
Mohd Ali Anwar Reda EGY bt Peter Billson ENG 3-0 (12-10, 11-8, 11-8) 34m
Stephane Galifi FRA bt John Rooney IRE (9-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-6, 11-4) 69m
Nalle in British Open 2009 - Arrival
As two years ago I took KLM flight from Helsinki to Amsterdam and then another leg to Manchester. Flights were in time and as KLM has improved service it was a nice experience to fly. Luckily there was 2 hours stop over in Amsterdam giving enough time to dinner at the Schiphol airport. 
Today’s lunch brought me back to the reality. I tried to eat in local pub, but the waiter ignored me completely and I walked out after checking emails. Free WiFi was the main reason to go there anyway. Sometime later I found a nice Italian restaurant and ordered spaghetti carbonara. That’s my favorite pasta and I have eaten it in 100+ restaurants all over the world. Spaghetti carbonara has always tasted good, except today. It will be tough week to find any decent food here even if I have lowered the expectations before traveling to UK.
At the Northern squash club everything have been well organized. I even succeeded to get a practice court right after arrival. It was nice to train volleys, drop shots and tricks on the glass backwall court when Amr Swelim (EGY) and Shaun Le Roux (ENG) played their PSA match on the next court. Court was good and my touch was excellent even if I have not been able to play properly in one month due to repeating hamstring injuries. After practicing I was talking with four Pakistani players. They had seen me on the court and asked my PSA ranking. I asked their opinion and they said that you have a nice touch, your ranking is 150!!! As they also estimated me 10 years younger I feel unbeatable in tomorrow’s match in men over 45 category. If the hamstring does not disagree.
Today’s lunch brought me back to the reality. I tried to eat in local pub, but the waiter ignored me completely and I walked out after checking emails. Free WiFi was the main reason to go there anyway. Sometime later I found a nice Italian restaurant and ordered spaghetti carbonara. That’s my favorite pasta and I have eaten it in 100+ restaurants all over the world. Spaghetti carbonara has always tasted good, except today. It will be tough week to find any decent food here even if I have lowered the expectations before traveling to UK.
At the Northern squash club everything have been well organized. I even succeeded to get a practice court right after arrival. It was nice to train volleys, drop shots and tricks on the glass backwall court when Amr Swelim (EGY) and Shaun Le Roux (ENG) played their PSA match on the next court. Court was good and my touch was excellent even if I have not been able to play properly in one month due to repeating hamstring injuries. After practicing I was talking with four Pakistani players. They had seen me on the court and asked my PSA ranking. I asked their opinion and they said that you have a nice touch, your ranking is 150!!! As they also estimated me 10 years younger I feel unbeatable in tomorrow’s match in men over 45 category. If the hamstring does not disagree.
6ix pack training
08-Sep-09 18:40 Filed in: Training
Everyone has dreamed about six pack when going on the beach. Hoping that had done a couple of more sets of sit-ups or skipped some beers. But how many of you have ever trained your stomach muscles? Be honest. If you answered yes, then repeat what Nalle Parmonen did.
It started in July 15th with 500 situps reaching total of 10k in two weeks. One day rest every week. Number of daily sit-ups and twists increased week after week. In the middle of August a long weekend, from Friday to Monday, counted 23k in total in four days. On average that’s almost 6000 per day. Then there was a business trip and a well deserved rest for two days. Next long weekend, from Thursday to Sunday, was a real killer with 35k situps and twists. Friday counted for 10k and Saturday for 12k. In total that’s 100k situps and twists in total in 40 days!!!
Take a challenge and beat that if you think you have stomach muscles. And remember to use 35 kg for situps and 40 kg for twists as seen in the photos. But be warned that it is not going to be easy and there is a great danger for injury if you are not in good fit. After 2 weeks Nalle is still recovering
It started in July 15th with 500 situps reaching total of 10k in two weeks. One day rest every week. Number of daily sit-ups and twists increased week after week. In the middle of August a long weekend, from Friday to Monday, counted 23k in total in four days. On average that’s almost 6000 per day. Then there was a business trip and a well deserved rest for two days. Next long weekend, from Thursday to Sunday, was a real killer with 35k situps and twists. Friday counted for 10k and Saturday for 12k. In total that’s 100k situps and twists in total in 40 days!!!
Take a challenge and beat that if you think you have stomach muscles. And remember to use 35 kg for situps and 40 kg for twists as seen in the photos. But be warned that it is not going to be easy and there is a great danger for injury if you are not in good fit. After 2 weeks Nalle is still recovering