Waikato pair set for hall of fame

MURRAY DAY: World roles in squash.

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Two prominent Waikato names will be part of squash history tomorrow night when they are the first inductees into the New Zealand Squash Hall of Fame.

Playing legend Leilani Rorani and long-time administrator Murray Day are part of a group of eight to accomplish the feat, and will be in attendance at tomorrow night's awards ceremony at The Trusts Stadium in Auckland.

The hall of fame concept was established to not only recognise and honour the outstanding performance of those involved in the sport, but also to preserve and record the history and heritage of New Zealand squash.

The inductions are planned to become an annual affair.

Rorani, from Hamilton, now lives in Wellington and will be attending the awards ceremony with her sister.

The 35-year-old had a number of highlights during her career, including winning two British Open titles and twice being runner-up at the World Open.

She reached No1 in the world rankings and won the New Zealand national title four times.

But it was two gold medals in doubles events at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, just prior to her retirement, that Rorani identifies as her major highlight, describing it as a "miracle achievement".

After tearing her achilles tendon, she was told by a specialist she wouldn't be walking for 12 months but was determined to get to the event although she admits she "was in no physical condition to run around the court".

"I was hoping to walk away with one bronze medal, but came away with two gold medals," Rorani said.

"I felt for one week that I had experienced a miracle in my life because I had come right and I was 100 per cent and I actually thought that I was healed but when I arrived back in New Zealand I was straight back on crutches again."

Rorani said she was excited about tomorrow night's ceremony and the people she would see.

"Many of those people will be people I've never met before but who had a huge impact on the development of the sport.

"It will be an opportunity to see some old faces and also meet people for the first time."

One person Rorani is looking forward to seeing again is 1986 world champion Ross Norman, after a memorable encounter many years back in England when Rorani's friends, who knew Norman, organised for her to have a hit with him.

"Ross, he was already a legend and I was unknown and I don't know what I was more shocked over, the fact that I was going to have a hit with him or that he had even said yes.

"I'm pretty sure he said yes purely on the grounds that I was another Kiwi and nothing else."

Hamilton's Murray Day was the first squash administrator from this country to make a significant impact on the world stage.

Day, 77, was president of the New Zealand Squash Rackets Association from 1968-71, was the New Zealand rep on the International Squash Rackets Federation from 1967-75, and was the president of the federation from 1975 until 1981.

He co-ordinated the hosting of the 1971 world men's championships in Hamilton – the first time the country had hosted a world squash event.

"It's a great honour really for New Zealand, this administration side, because we've had some great administrators and they've been accepted round the world," Day said.

"I had a good team.

"All these people who've achieved these things at the very top of the sport is pretty amazing."

Day's two sons are travelling from Mt Maunganui and Singapore to celebrate his success.

Rorani, Day and Norman will be joined in the hall of fame by fellow inductees Susan Devoy, Dardir El Bakary, Bruce Brownlee, Stuart Davenport and Roy Haddon.

- © Fairfax NZ News