Izinkantolo Zama-Squash Zomphakathi Zamahhala Zivuliwe E-Lower East Side eManhattan

U-Alex Wessner noRyan Wall babedlala i-squash ngolunye usuku. “Kwakuwusuku oluhle lwasentwasahlobo, amazinga okushisa angu-75, futhi ngangifuna nje ukuphuma ngaphandle,” kusho uWessner. Inkinga kuphela? I-Squash, okungenani eNew York City, umdlalo wangaphakathi kuphela. Eminyakeni emine kamuva, uWessner noWall bahlangana nabanye abathanda i-racquetball uBrian Staub noSean Dragann ukuqala i-Public Squash nokwakha izinkundla zokuqala ze-squash zomphakathi zamahhala eNew York City.

Iminyango yesakhiwo sengilazi esikhazimulayo, esiklanywe ngendlela efanayo nesitayela sesimanje se-Apple Store, ivulwe ngokusemthethweni ngoLwesibili. Izinkundla, eziseHamilton Fish Park eLower East Side, ziseduze nechibi lokubhukuda elingange-Olympic, izinkundla zebhasikidi kanye nesikhungo sokuzilibazisa saseBeaux-Arts esaklanywa ngo-1898 yiCarrère & Hastings (inkampani efanayo eyaklama iNew York Public Library edumile eManhattan's Fifth Avenue). Abathandi be-squash bangaqasha ama-racket namabhola mahhala ngaphambi kokungena ezinkundleni.

Abathandi balo mdlalo bazoqaphela ukuthi lo mqondo musha kangakanani. Izinkundla ze-squash zigcwele eManhattan, kodwa iningi lazo zingamakilabhu nezindawo zokuzivocavoca ezinamazinga amaningi anamalungu, ngokuvamile ngamanani aphezulu. (Ngaphezu kwezimali zobulungu, amaqembu amaningi akhokhisa imali yokuqasha inkundla.) UWeisner ubiza lokhu ngokuthi “inkinga yokulungiselela kusengaphambili” yalo mdlalo, okuyinto eyiphutha. “Nakuba kubhekwa njengomdlalo oyinkimbinkimbi,” usho kanje, “empeleni unemvelaphi ephansi.” (Ngokuphawulekayo, lo mdlalo wawudlalwa ngaphandle ekuqaleni.) Abadlali bokuqala be-squash babeyiziboshwa zaseFleet Prison yaseLondon, ezaqala ukushaya amabhola ngama-racket ezindongeni zejele njengendlela yokuzivocavoca ekuqaleni kwekhulu le-19. Lo mdlalo wahlelwa ngokusemthethweni eHarrow School for Boys eLondon, lapho kwakhiwa khona izinkundla ze-squash ezine zokuqala ngo-1864. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, lo mdlalo usakazeke emhlabeni wonke ngamazinga ahlukahlukene okuthandwa, kodwa kubantu baseNew York kanye nabaningi baseMelika, inkinga yokulungiselela kusengaphambili isalokhu ikhona.
Ngomqondo weminyaka eyinkulungwane, amalungu e-Public Squash Courts enza ucwaningo lwedijithali futhi athola ukuthi naphezu kokusesha okuningi kwe-Google kwezinkundla zomphakathi ze-squash eNew York City, imiphumela yayingaphelele ngoba zazingekho izinkantolo. Naphezu kwamakhulu ezinkundla zomphakathi ze-handball kuzo zonke izigodi ezinhlanu, ukusesha ku-inthanethi kwalezi zindawo kwakungajwayelekile kakhulu. Benethemba lokuhlukana nesiko, leli qembu laya eMnyangweni Wezamapaki Nokuzilibazisa wase-NYC ngomqondo wokuguqula ezinye izinkundla ze-handball ezikhona zibe izinkundla ze-squash. Bacabanga ukuthi ukwakha nje izindonga ezintathu ezengeziwe kuzovala ngokuphelele le ndawo ukuze kuhambisane nezindinganiso zomhlaba wonke ze-squash. Beqiniseka, uMnyango Wezamapaki waqasha izinkundla mahhala, kodwa ukwakhiwa kwawela kuWeisner, Staub, Wall, kanye noDragan.
Le nhlangano yethule umkhankaso wokuqoqa imali weminyaka eminingi. Iminikelo yobukhulu obuhlukahlukene, ikakhulukazi evela kubangani, emndenini nakubathandi be-squash, kanye nokuthengiswa kwezikibha ze-PS, ekugcineni kwaqoqa imali eyanele yokwakha inkundla yesimanje ye-squash yangaphandle.

Le mizamo imane nje iyisiqalo somzamo wokuvuselela izimpande zomdlalo we-Ivy League futhi uwenze utholakale kalula njengomdlalo wakho webhasikidi wendawo. Akubona abadlali kuphela abaqonda ukubaluleka kwe-squash: Ngokungafani ne-tennis, lo mdlalo uyatholakala kalula futhi uze waqanjwa ngokuthi ungomunye wemihle kakhulu yi-Forbes. Izinhlangano eziseNew York ezifana ne-CitySquash seziqaphele isikhathi eside izinzuzo ze-squash ezingaba nazo entsheni ehlwempu: Iwebhusayithi yayo iphawula ukuthi amaphesenti ayi-100 abafundi be-CitySquash baphothula esikoleni samabanga aphezulu, kanti amaphesenti angama-98 aya ekolishi.

I-PS nayo ibheke phambili ekusaseni le-squash kuma-Olympic. "Akukaze kube umdlalo wama-Olympic, ikakhulukazi ngenxa yobunzima bokufinyelela izindawo. Ngethemba ukuthi lolu hlobo luzosiza i-squash ukuthi ifanelekele ama-Olympic," kusho uWall.
Ithimba liphinde libone le ndawo njengokungaphezu nje kwenkundla, lichaza ukuthi izindonga zengilazi zivumela ubuciko, futhi indawo yangaphakathi inamandla okusingatha imicimbi. Nakuba izinhlelo zenkantolo yesibili zingakafezeki, ngokuqinisekile kuyisinyathelo esilandelayo. Okubangela umbuzo: Yini evimba umuntu ekwakheni enye inkantolo? “Akukho lutho olumvimbayo, futhi sethemba ukuthi bazokwenzenjalo!” kusho uWeisner. “Umgomo wethu ukufinyeleleka kalula, ngakho zizwe ukhululekile ukukopisha lokho! Sifuna nje wonke umuntu akwazi ukuza azodlala.”