The World Squash Masters Championships descended upon Perth last week, with two of the Snowy Mountains’ finest squash players representing Australia on the international stage.

Ken Kable and Corey Bedingfield were among 900 players from 55 nations competing in the prestigious event, which ran from August 30 to September 6. Corey Bedingfield began his campaign in the 40+ category on Sunday 30 August, while Ken Kable took to the court in the 80+ division on Wednesday 2 September.

Bedingfield played well to reach the third round, before losing to the recently named World Champion.

This year’s championships mark a significant milestone for Australian squash, having been more than 21 years since the nation last hosted the event in 2001. The tournament featured an all-glass show court in the City of Stirling shopping centre, with additional action taking place across Mirrabooka Squash Centre and Belmont Squash Centre in Perth.

For Bedingfield, the road to Perth began with last year’s Australian Masters, where he first learned about the world championships being hosted in Australia.

“I had found out about the World Masters being hosted in Australia last year, and I immediately knew I wanted to sign up and return to Perth to play,” Bedingfield said.

His first match pitted him against an English player, followed by a fellow Australian from Brisbane.

One of the highlights for Bedingfield has been experiencing the full glass court for the first time.

“I’ve never played in a full glass court before, it was good, but I was a little nervous with so many eyes on me while playing,” Bedingfield said.

The tournament format offers a more relaxed atmosphere compared to typical competitions.

“The matches are spread out over a number of days, whereas most tournaments are within a couple of days of each other,” Bedingfield said.

“Because it’s spread out it’s a bit more casual and chill, everyone’s there to support and have fun.”

Reflecting on his master’s squash journey so far, Bedingfield said the experience level of competitors was impressive.

“You have to be over 35 for males to play and over 30 for females, so you’re playing against experienced players that have been playing for years,” he said.

“Some people have been playing for generations, so it’s always a good game when playing with people who love the game as much as you do.”

Despite the sometimes-competitive nature, the spirit of the event remained supportive, with fellow Snowy Mountains squash player Ken Kable cheering on Bedingfield from the sidelines during a couple of his matches. Kable lost his first match and was unable to compete any further due to pulling his hamstring and archillies.

Bedingfield’s participation is particularly significant given he sustained an injury just five weeks ago.

“I have a really good physiotherapist in Cooma who got me competition ready,” Bedingfield said. Bedingfield already has his sights set on future competitions.

“Next for me is a couple of local tournaments including the Bega Masters and South East Regionals in Pambula,” Bedingfield said.

He’s also looking forward to the Jindabyne tournament next year at the Jindabyne Bowling Club after its successful tournament earlier this year.

“Anyone can play squash, it’s a great sport and I would encourage anyone to come along to the Jindabyne Bowling Club squash courts and give it a go,” Bedingfield said.