Final Day - Probably the last Blog Entry!!!
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Well, as fast as it snuck up on us all - World Junior Championships 2010 has drawn to a close at the prizegiving dinner tonight in Quito, Ecuador, put on by Hotel Dann Carlton where we have been lucky enough to stay for the duration of the event.

I'll start it from the beginning - early game at 10am meant an EARLY WAKE UP, 10 am is when we've been eating BREAKFAST! It was alright though, we got down to breakfast and got in a good feed before we headed off to the club in the bus like usual - except this time for the LAST TIME! Was a good feeling to get there knowing there was one more day of business to be done - then a little bit of time to relax and enjoy our success!

The boys jumped on for their usual hit out before the match...

Paul was then on first vs 6th placed/seeded individual Aditya Jagtap of India (playing order 1 2 3) and managed to take the first game even though he was down a few points for a start - was a good one to win to break the spirits of the Indian number one player.

He played really well and didn't let Jagtap in to take out the match 3 - 0. Next on was Lance with the chance to win the tie for us 2 - 0, unfortunately a hard two weeks of matches took it's toll and after getting an epic first set, he couldn't hold on and lost it in 4, was a good effort nonetheless!!!

Next on was Bryce vs Ramit Tandon - a talented young Indian that he unfortunately didn't manage to beat today, which meant NZ went down 2-1 but we fought hard and still managed to come 6th place, the best finish since 1992!!! So I think we can be proud of ourselves and what we have done for New Zealand squash!

The rest of the day was spent watching the England vs Canada 3rd and 4th battle which Canada, 5th seeds, took out 2-1 with a really close match in the 2nd and 3rd - could have gone either way, was a tense one!!! We even got McDonalds - dunno if I should put this on the blog but we've eaten healthy the whole trip and it was a bit different!

New Zealand, 6th!

Back to the hotel - closing ceremony was a big event with all the teams suiting up and going to one of the function rooms for the prizegiving dinner etc, the boys were all looking pretty sharp in their suits!

We even got a photo with the local kid that hangs around the tournament every day talking to people and finding out how everyone is going - such a cool kid who always wants to know how you're doing!! Anthony traded shirts with him and got an Ecuador one in return - he was repping it pretty well at the dinner tonight, wore it over his top everywhere! Easy way to get New Zealand on the map!

We even found a guy that reminded us of Lance from Palmerston North Worlds in 06 - the one that cleans the ball in between games and the walls of the glass court every opportunity! So we got a photo of them together, they even look alike! Was pretty funny for us. Had to be there perhaps, but I'm sure you can see it!

Well, I don't really have too much more to say other than it is currently midnight and our plane is leaving EARLY in the morning - we have to be in the lobby at 5:45 which means a 5am get up! That's brutal - now we're up to FIVE hours before our normal breakfast time! Got a LONG flight ahead, not looking forward to it one bit, but am looking forward to the final destination which is home which I know we all are - it's gonna be good to get back to that home cooking (I'm not suggesting anything to our families but umm... how about a roast?!) and our own beds! Been an amazing trip and I would like to informally thank Squash New Zealand, all the people that have commented and followed this blog - I know there's a few of you, we even got a mention at the prizegiving dinner tonight! All of our families and friends that have supported all of us over the years and given us the confidence to get this far, Anthony - for everything you have done with us - it's been an amazing journey and it's only the beginning!! Greg - all those hard sessions!! They helped us out heaps, especially at altitude and bring them on again, can't wait for more at sea level!!! I won't go into too many names coz I'll forget people - but I've been writing the blog so if I can thank my mother, father, aunty and uncle for putting up with me this year and Georgina too (sorry about the mention) for putting up with me always!

Enough of the thank you's though - I'm sure this blog will be rekindled in the future by future junior teams and definitely by us as we aim for Senior worlds and Commonwealth Games in the future - I hope we have managed to start some kind of tradition in which teams will let people back home know how they are going!

Thank you everyone - and we will see you all at the airport, 5:20am Tuesday morning, Auckland International :) can't wait!!!!

Adios! Buenos noches??