By Elijah Lavett – EMTV Sports, Port Moresby
The Moni Plus PNG Squash Open ended yesterday(December 2) with the Grand final play-offs in each division.
The PNG Open started on Friday evening with players from Lae, Mount Hagen, Port Moresby, and Australia, competing.
After 7 years, the Moni Plus PNG Squash Open tournament held their Grand Final at the Port Moresby Racquets Club.
The tournament saw participants from Mount Hagen, Lae, Port Moresby and players from Australia. More than 70 players took part, 38 of whom were Junior squash players.
In the girl’s Under 19 finals, Port Moresby’s Amity Alarcos beat Mount Hagen’s Jemalyn Miniga 3 sets to 1.
In the U’19 boy’s finals, it was a battle between 2 Port Moresby-based players, Christopher Whitchurch and Linus Do’o.
Whitchurch beat Do’o 3 sets to 1, to claim the under U19 boys title.
The Women’s Open division final witnessed PNG number 1, Lynette Vai comfortably beating Nicole Gibbs by 3 sets to zero.
Vai, who lives and trains in Melbourne, cruised through the round robin stage and easily claimed this year’s PNG Open title in the Women’s division.
The last match of the evening saw the much-anticipated Men’s open division final between PNG Number 1, Madako Suari Jnr and PNG former number 1 Michael Rucklinger from Mount Hagen.
Earlier this year, Rucklinger beat Suari in the Men’s finals of the Mount Hagen Open.
Yesterday’s final was expected to be tough between the two, but Madako Suari Jnr proved to have the upper hand, being precise with his execution on the court.
Suari put on a soothing performance winning the first 3 sets, beating Rucklinger and maintaining his spot as number 1 in PNG.
After the finals, awards were given out to winners in the different divisions.
