Blantyre squash ace Dougie Moffat won a top title before heading for a coaching job in South Africa.

Feb 4 2010 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

Blantyre squash ace Dougie Moffat won a top title before heading for a coaching job in South Africa.

EASTON’S PROMISE

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BLANTYRE squash ace Dougie Moffat retained his East of Scotland Masters title, only to immediately hand the trophy back to the tournament’s organisers.

Dougie can’t defend the title for a third successive year as next week he’s heading off to begin a three-year coaching contract at the Walmer Squash Club in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Hamilton Squash Club member Dougie was on top form when he retained the East of Scotland Masters in a 3-0 final win over Peter Wilson from Edinburgh’s Waverley Squash Club.

“I’m absolutely delighted, particularly because I retained my title,” said Dougie, who dropped just one set throughout the competition.

“I’ve won the trophy six times now, but I handed it back because I’m not defending it next year.”

Dougie said the job offer came up through a chance conversation on his way back from a tournament.

“I was coming home from the World Masters and I got talking to a few people who told me they were looking for a coach,” he said.

“I told them I would be interested in the job and it snowballed from there.

“I can’t wait – the standard of squash in South Africa is really high and they take it very seriously.

“I used to coach in Hamilton and went to all the schools but there was no funding available and it just stopped.

“I enjoyed it though, so this is something I was always interested in.

“It’s a big decision to go but it’s a chance at a change of life.

“I’ve been playing for 30 years and I’ve won nearly everything I can here, so it’s a new challenge and one I look forward to.”

The 60-year-old will travel to the African continent on February 9 with wife Margaret and son Andrew (30).