THE growing reputation of Ilkley Lawn Tennis and Squash Club as a centre of squash excellence is shown by the number of international players descending on the town.

Kiwi coach Robbie Burnett has attracted a host of top players to train at the club including the Australian squad prior to the Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

Burnett and Ilkley were also the reasons for world ranked Australian Anthony Ricketts and his top ranked New Zealand player girlfriend Shelley Kitching moving to the town.

This week Raymond Arnold, the National Coach of Malaysia, turned up in Ilkley in preparation for two of his brightest young stars coming to spend six months here.

Arnold said: "I am sending over two of my boys to be based with Robbie. I have come to look round the club and check out arrangements for them and things could not be better.

"The players are just out of juniors and will join the PSA Circuit. We have a good set up back in Malaysia but the only place you can get regular competitive matches is in England or in Amsterdam.

"I was put on to Robbie by top player Carol Owens and now two of my players Kelvin Ho, 20, and Mohammed Nafzahizam,18, will come to Ilkley.

"I hope to see them make some progress. I have another three players currently based in Amsterdam but if things work out in Ilkley it may well be that I move all my players here.

"The boys will play in league matches and Robbie has already arranged for them to play for the Chapel Allerton club in one league.

"I am very impressed with the Ilkley club. We have government funding for our players and everthing is taken care of for them. They do not have to worry about anything except playing good squash.

"They will have to travel out round Europe for PSA events but they will train in Ilkley and play in leagues around Yorkshire. The idea is to play as many matches as possible.

"They will stay for four months and then go home for Christmas before returning for another two months.

"They will arrive in Ilkley in September."