Tony Hands

Hands finished runner-up to Del Harris in the Suffolk Junior Open (U14) in March 1983^[2] and had progressed to Essex and East of England U19 champion by 1987.^[3]

He played for Ardleigh Hall and represented Essex at county level.^[4] He was called up for the England U19 team in 1989 and played for Chelmsford, while steadily moving up the British rankings.^[5]

Hands later played for Lambwath Hall Sports and then North Walsham^[6] and reached the 1991 semi-finals of the British National Squash Championships.^[7] He had reached the world's top 30 and Britain's top 10 by the beginning of 1992 and was world number 18 by the end of the year.^[8]

Hands won two gold medals for the England men's national squash team at the European Squash Team Championships at the 1993 European Squash Team Championships^[9] and the 1994 European Squash Team Championships.^[10][11]

He was ranked 4 in Britain in August 1993 and joined Cardiff-based Leekes Wizards along with fellow England internartional Chris Walker.^[12] Hands reached world number 9 at the end of 1993.^[13]