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1 May, 2019

Triple treat for Gabe – three titles in three weeks

Flagstaff Team

Best in New Zealand and Australia…Gabe Yam with his coach and uncle Manu Yam after the Australian Open

Belmont Park squash club is celebrating one of its best months, with juniors Gabe Yam and Natalie Sayes winning five major titles between them.

Gabe and Natalie won both the Oceania and Australian open junior champs, and last weekend Gabe took out the New Zealand Junior Open.

Gabe (18) won gold in the boys under-19 division at the Oceania champs played at Remuera last month, then also took out the title at the Australian junior champs in Sydney over Easter.

Gabe Yam, Natalie Sayes, and Justine Pausch after the New Zealand Junior Open

Natalie (14) won the under-15 girls Oceania title and then followed this up with a win in the same category at the Australian junior open in Sydney.

Gabe won the Australian junior title without losing a game.

In the New Zealand open final, he beat Temwa Chileshe in straight games.

Natalie also had an impressive run in the New Zealand Junior Open, bettering her seeding and getting to the semi-finals, losing to eventual winner Kaitlyn Watts. Natalie then capped off an excellent tournament to claim third place, beating Georgia Robcke.

• Another Belmont Park player, Justine Pausch, won bronze in the under-13 girls Australian champs.

This article originally appeared in the May 3 edition of The Devonport Flagstaff. Download PDF.