WORLD CHAMPIONS SEEK GOLD

WORLD CHAMPIONS SEEK GOLD

KUALA LUMPUR, SEPT 16 (Bernama) -- Chris Walker and Mark Cairns of England, winners of the inaugural world men's doubles squash championships in Hong Kong last December, are looking to win the Commonwealth Games gold medal at Bukit Jalil.

Walker and Cairns are the number one seeds in a highly competitive field of 32 pairs The men's doubles starts tomorrow at 10am.

The pairs are divided into eight pools.

The seedings are:
1 Chris Walker and Mark Cairns (England).
2 Jonathon Power and Graham Ryding (Canada).
3 Rodney Eyles and Byron Davis (Australia).
4 Paul Johnson and Mark Chaloner (England).
5-8.Kenneth Low and Michael Soo (Malaysia), David Palmer and Paul Price (Australia), Alex Gough and David Evans (Wales) and Peter Nicol and Stuart Cowie (Scotland).

Leilani Joyce and Philippa Beams of New Zealand, the world women's doubles champions, are the top seeds and favourites for the Commonwealth Games gold.

There are 14 women's pairs and they have been split into four pools.

The seedings are:
Leilani Joyce and Philippa Beams (New Zealand).
2 Sue Wright and Cassie Jackman (England).
3 Sarah Fitz-Gerald and Carol Owens (Australia).
4 Linda Charman and Jane Martin (England).

The mixed doubles has attracted 20 pairs and they are divided into four pools.

The seedings are:
1. Simon Parke and Suzanne Horner (England).
2 Craig Rowland and Michelle Martin (Australia).
3 Jonathon Power and Melanie Jans (Canada).
4 Craig Van Der Wath and Claire Nitch (South Africa).

The world champions, Dan Jensen and Liz Irving (Australia), are not competing as Jensen is injured. Irving is here as a television commentator for Australia's Channel Nine. --BERNAMA