Your stories
Squash gave me a place to belong
- Matin Ghalami
- 4 min read
My squash journey started thanks to my mum.
She introduced me to squash when I was 12, in my home city of Shiraz, Iran. I still remember being on my way to the squash centre, sitting in the back of my parents’ car, feeling so excited.
As soon as I walked onto the court, I felt a connection to the sport.
Squash felt unique and special. What stood out most was the sense of family and friendliness around it, that really sparked a fire in me.
Looking back at my journey, I wouldn’t say I was the shiniest player in the club, or even among the other juniors.
I took breaks to focus on my studies. I also didn’t play in a lot of tournaments, sometimes because of financial reasons and sometimes because of the breaks I had taken.
Despite that, I always kept going.
I think that was mainly because, deep down, I knew squash could one day change my life. My parents and coaches always encouraged me to, and I felt like I belonged to the squash community.
When I was 15, I moved from Iran to England and settled in Wolverhampton, where I studied at college as a squash scholar. That gave me a chance to continue developing my squash, but after I left college, things became uncertain.
Before starting university in Manchester, I stopped playing squash for a year because I thought the squash dream was over for me.
I had no job and not much money, so I couldn’t even play squash properly as a hobby, let alone play to go professional one day. I also didn’t have many friends in Manchester to socialise with or share my passions with.
After being offered a scholarship from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as a refugee last year, I knew the path I had always dreamed of since those first moments before stepping onto a squash court was right in front of me again.
I took the opportunity, and it meant the world to me.
It allowed me to pursue squash on a professional path, with the help of Team GB and my coach Tom, who was introduced to me by England Squash. That support has helped me with my goals and ambitions.
Restarting my squash career changed many things.
I got to follow my passion and dreams again, but I also found people. By joining City of Manchester Squash Club and the university squash club, I met new people and some of my best friends. Training, playing and being around the club gave me somewhere I felt I belonged again.
There were also many job and experience opportunities that came with following my passion again.
Reflecting on my journey from the start, I realise how important and life-changing squash has been for me.
Despite having many ups and downs, squash has always welcomed me back with open arms. Each time, it has brought a new and bigger set of opportunities. Now I am following a childhood dream of being in the Olympics.
That’s mainly because my parents always encouraged me to carry on and seek out opportunities. It’s also because I’ve maintained the same level of enthusiasm and excitement on a Manchester yellow tram, going to the National Squash Centre for training, as I had in the back of my parents’ car going to Shiraz Squash Centre for the first time.
To anyone who is facing hardships or difficult times in their life, even in the darkest days there can be a level of light that holds your hand and eventually lifts you up.
For me, that light was squash – not only the sport itself, but the people around it.
Everything squash has brought me in the past year would not have been possible without the help and support of the amazing squash community, especially my coaches, City of Manchester Squash Club, England Squash, Team GB and the IOC, along with the encouragement of my parents.
And most importantly, it came from continuing to search for opportunities and taking them to improve my life.
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