The East Gloucestershire Club in Cheltenham will play host to a major junior squash event this weekend.

The England Squash Bronze Sanctioned Event will see more than 60 high quality youngsters – both boys and girls – compete for titles in a range of age groups.

“About 25 per cent or maybe 30 per cent are from Gloucestershire but we’ve got people coming from Northumberland and Cumbria,” said Gloucestershire Squash Association chairman Mark Toseland.

“We’ve even got a player coming from Asia and one from the US.”

This is the second year in a row that Toseland, who is also squash manager at East Glos, has organised the tournament.

There were more than 60 competitors last year as well, an event that was very well received.

An England Squash Bronze Sanctioned Event provides up and coming players with the chance to climb the squash ladder with silver, gold and platinum events to aim for after bronze.

“We’ve got individual boys’ and girls’ competitions from under-11 all the way through to under-19s,” said Toseland. “I’d say about a third of the entries are girls which is a big jump from last year.”

All four courts at East Glos will be in use on the Saturday and Sunday – play will be from 9am-5pm on both days – including the two glassback show courts.

It’s clearly going to be a very busy couple of days at East Glos but there will be plenty else going on at the club over the 48 hours as well.

“We’ll be putting on a couple of exhibition matches as well,” said Toseland. “They will start at 5pm or soon after on both days. We’re always looking to put on something different, trying to make things better.”

The men’s exhibition game will take place on the Saturday and will feature East Glos favourite Nathan Lake who is ranked around 50 in the world.

He will play Anthony Graham, a former Gloucestershire player who has been in the world’s top 100 and now coaches in Washington DC.

The ladies’ match 24 hours later will be between Haley Mendez and Alicia Mead.

Mendez, ranked 43 in the world, is from the US but these days lives in Cheltenham with her boyfriend Nathan Lake, while Mead, from Birmingham, is ranked around 100 in the world but a player who is on the up.

All four players will take part in a Q&A after their matches and may even take part in a fun rounders match as well.

“We’re running a family fun barbecue and rounders at East Glos on the Saturday evening for all the participants – players and parents – at the event,” added Toseland.