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Squash Yukon held their Reservoir Dogs tournament March 25-26 at Better Bodies gym in Whitehorse.

Six teams of six players each participated.

Each player played five matches, which were a straight 25 minutes long and counted total points instead of going by games played and won.

A special feature of the tourney was that participants hit the ball directly into Solo cups for extra points.

Two pounds of local coffee per player was donated for prizes.

Organizers also took in donations for Ukraine, which were handed over to the Red Cross.

Stephen Buckler, the president of Squash Yukon, said Friday鈥檚 action 鈥渨as great! It was cool because we鈥檙e donating the registration fee to the Ukrainian community.鈥�

鈥淚t was by donation, so I think we鈥檒l know by the end of the tournament, but I think people were being pretty generous. It鈥檚 normally a $20 registration fee, but I think people are giving a hundred or so, which is awesome.

鈥淎 couple guys from the Ukrainian community came by last night to cheer us on and to give us these ribbons and they were really thankful and it was really cool to have them come by.鈥�

Buckler said it was going great on Saturday as well.

鈥淓veryone is feeling sore, but it鈥檚 a lot of fun and you get the adrenalin rush from hitting cups, so it鈥檚 great. Everyone loves the tournament. People have been a bit stir-crazy, wanting a tournament like this since the start of the pandemic, so it鈥檚 two and a half, three years in the making ... it鈥檚 good to be back.鈥�

This isn鈥檛 the first organized competition they鈥檝e had since the pandemic began.

鈥淣o, we鈥檝e had the Yukon Open every year, but 鈥� except for I think the first year of the pandemic, just cause I think everything was closed. Better Bodies has been open with restrictions, so we鈥檝e had really bare-bones tournaments, where like you come in with your mask, you play your match, then you leave. So it鈥檚 not much of a tournament atmosphere or anything.

鈥淲e had pizza last night and coffee, food, so it feels like we鈥檙e back to normal, even though it鈥檚 not quite. People are still careful, but it鈥檚 nice to be able to come together as a community again.

鈥淓veryone鈥檚 out here, excited to play again and it feels like old times, really and it鈥檚 for a good cause, so everyone鈥檚 having a great weekend.鈥�

Buckler had just finished a tough match when the Star talked to him.

鈥淚 was playing our new squash pro, Gyanendra. He鈥檚 here from New Delhi, working full-time for Squash Yukon and he is definitely the best player in the Yukon and he wiped the court with me just a couple minutes ago, but it was fun and it鈥檚 great to play someone at a higher level than you.鈥�

The squash pro, Gyanendra Singh, is in the Yukon through the Yukon Nominee Program and was playing against Buckler with his left hand to keep the competition fair.

鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to get him here permanently. He鈥檚 in his second year with us, but we鈥檙e working toward that, which is awesome for the squash community. We鈥檙e gearing up for Canada Games 2027, so we need a squash pro, we need a strong team and this is the first steps towards that.鈥�

Singh explained why he ended up teaching squash in the Yukon.

鈥淚 was working in Kuwait for seven years as the squash pro and I was running the stadium there. I just wanted a change, a move and I wanted to develop, especially in Canada 鈥� not in Toronto, not in Ontario somewhere, I just wanted to stay away from the cities and this Yukon place is so beautiful, so I just wanted to develop the squash thing here. That鈥檚 why I鈥檓 here.鈥�

鈥淚 had an offer from an Edmonton club and Yukon. I saw the background here and I felt like Squash Yukon needed someone to ... really lift the program. So we can grow the squash all over the world.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a very healthy sport, according to the Forbes magazine 鈥� they published an article in 2004, and squash is one of the healthiest sport(s). If you go on the treadmill, thirty minute, you burn 450 calories. Here, it鈥檚 like double of that,鈥� he added.

Singh has been in the Yukon for one year.

鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing. Its so beautiful. And the community here is really amazing. The people are so welcoming and they are so lovely.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 gonna stay here. I鈥檓 in process to bring my family here 鈥� my wife. So I already applied for the visa and the steps for the visa.

鈥淩ight now I am on the work permit. I have applied for my PR. I am in the process of getting my Permanent Residency and I will stay, for sure.鈥�

As for the Reservoir Dogs tourney, Singh says it鈥檚 a different kind of competition.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a cups tournament, so it鈥檚 not like our normal tournament. It鈥檚 more fun ... everybody has a chance to win the game. It doesn鈥檛 matter what skill level you are. And it鈥檚 so fun. Once you hit the cup, you get six points 鈥� that is so fun.鈥�

Singh would like to see the players competing in the Professional Squash Association (PSA) some day.

鈥淲e鈥檝e got a broader spectrum of the players ... but we don鈥檛 have the top level of player 鈥� those who are competing in Squash Canada. So that鈥檚 why I am here. I am developing the program for here, doing lots of junior programs ... clinics and lots of coaching ... so I can take the Squash Yukon players to Squash Canada play so we can compete at the top level, and maybe even in the future, a couple of years, we can go to the world stage of competition, for professional squash competition, we can produce some of the players from here. That鈥檚 my target.鈥�

The 2027 Canada Games are also a target for Singh and his charges.

鈥淲e are working towards that also, to develop (a) junior program ... for that tournament also.鈥�

Singh added, 鈥渢he people here are amazing. The squash committee鈥檚 really amazing. I鈥檓 loving the life here. It鈥檚 great.鈥�

Brenna MacPhail was one of the hard-playing participants.

鈥淭his is hands-down, without question, the most fun squash tournament of the year. I go to all of them, but this one, without question, is the most fun. There鈥檚 a little bit of different style of gameplay, and there鈥檚 incentive at the end, coffee or otherwise, so (that) ups the ante a little bit.

鈥淭his is definitely a tournament of attrition, because it鈥檚 length gameplay as opposed to point gameplay, so pretty tough.鈥�

鈥淎nd it鈥檚 a lot of lunging, a lot of dynamic movement.鈥�

McPhail is a Squash Yukon member through the league and through lessons from Singh.

鈥淗e鈥檚 really excellent. Learned a lot from him.鈥�

Mchphail has been playing the racket sport for four years.

鈥淚t鈥檚 addictive for reasons I can鈥檛 actually describe. It鈥檚 a community. That鈥檚 the first and foremost. There鈥檚 definitely a community feel to it. And then the game itself. It鈥檚 a very thinking game, while at the same time being very athletic. So you鈥檝e got both of those components overlapping. And I think that鈥檚 what makes it addictive.鈥�

McPhail said there鈥檚 a lot of strategy involved.

鈥淭otally. But you鈥檝e got to get good to implement the strategy. So you鈥檙e always trying to improve, level up.鈥�

鈥淭here鈥檚 no squash where I grew up and where I went to school, so coming to Whitehorse was my first introduction to squash.鈥�

She added she鈥檚 thankful to the organizers and to Squash Yukon.

鈥淭he fact that they鈥檙e still putting these things on for us and allowing us to come back together as things open up is really important for everyone.鈥�

A total of $1210 was raised for the Ukraine.

Buckler added that the Yukon Open is coming up April 22-24. Those wishing to participate can do so by emailing Singh at squashyukon.coach@gmail.com.