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27/08/2010 - A late change to the New Zealand squash team for October's Commonwealth Games in Delhi. Shelley Kitchen has been ruled out of October's Commonwealth Games in Delhi. Kitchen has been forced to withdraw from the side due to ill health and has been replaced by Waikato's Kylie Lindsay. The change has been ratified by the New Zealand Olympic Committee. |
Kitchen is suffering from pleurisy and is resting on doctors orders. The former world number six is on the recovery, but has been left with too little time to be fit for the Games. It is a bitter blow for Kitchen, who has worked hard to get back to peak condition after having her first child in February. The 30-year-old was hoping to add to the silver and bronze medals she won in Melbourne four years ago, when she finished second in the women's doubles with Tamsyn Leevey and stunned world number one Nicol David in the playoff for third place in the individual event.
Kitchen will now focus her attention on being fit in time for the Women's World Team Championships in Palmerston North at the end of November.
Kylie Lindsay will slot smoothly into the team, having already stepped into Kitchen's shoes at an invitational doubles event in Australia earlier this month. The world number 51 teamed up with Auckland's Jaclyn Hawkes to finish fourth in the women's doubles event.
New Zealand Squash CEO Jim O'Grady says Kitchen's withdrawal is obviously a blow for the team, but he is confident the other players will respond well.
"The team now has time to adjust and prepare with no uncertainty around Shelley's availability, so they can get on with it and focus on what they have to do".
Mr O'Grady says the six players named to represent New Zealand are very talented and he is confident they will be in the medal hunt in Delhi.
Squash will feature at Delhi's Siri Fort Sports Complex from October 4-13.
New Zealand squash team for Commonwealth Games:
Jaclyn Hawkes
Joelle King
Kylie Lindsay
Tamsyn Leevey
Campbell Grayson
Martin Knight
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