Former England national coach David Campion is set to accelerate China’s emergence as a major squash nation after forging a long-term partnership with FindingSquash.

Campion, who led England to five World Team Championships and 42 European gold medals during his 23 years at the helm, will embark on a trip to Shanghai this summer along with his children and wife Sarah, the Head Coach at Queens Sports Club in Halifax, Yorkshire and former world no.15.

From 20-24 August, the Campions will be based at Shanghai’s Diamond Squash Club which has eight all-glass courts. There, they’ll help develop young players and upskill coaches, laying foundations for sustainable high-performance programmes.

August’s trip will be the first of several that Campion will make to different regions of China over the next couple of years, using his vast experience to help implement practices and processes that are geared towards world-class performance. He will fulfil this role alongside his position as Olympic Programme Consultant to the Italian Squash Federation and other consultancy projects.

Campion’s role with clubs in the private sector in China has been coordinated by FindingSquash. Its founder, Thomas Tang, says the Yorkshireman’s expertise will add “pedigree, substance and sportsmanship” to China’s squash boom.

“We’ve had a lot of coaches and top PSA players come here and do ‘show camps’, but that’s not what China needs,” Tang states. “For me, coaching is a very skilful trade. A good coach can change a match, a great coach can change a life. David is the right person at the right time to fill that gap. He is coming here to give us the real gems. It’s going to be beautiful.”

Late last year, FindingSquash organised a trip for renowned Egyptian coach Captain Ashraf Hanafi (former Head Coach of the Egyptian national team) to visit some of China’s main squash hot spots. Tang says Campion’s visits will build on Hanafi’s, providing the “perfect blend” of Egyptian and English wisdom.

“England represents the most classic squash in the world,” he says. “People talk about Egytian squash dominating the world, but for me, it’s English squash too. If you are hitting without consistency, accuracy or the ability to defend, you only have half the game. Introducing David to China is intentional and strategic. By tapping into these two great squash nations, we are really helping China to get the best the world can offer.”

Tang’s son Jeff recently spent two weeks at Queens Club in Halifax working with the Campions and training with local players. The plan is for more of China’s best juniors to travel to West Yorkshire in coming years and received the Campions’ expert tutelage.

FindingSquash’s role in the sport’s ecosystem is as a connector, joining up players, coaches, clubs and federations to help increase squash’s accessibility, affordability and sustainability.

The partnership with Campion is just one example of this. Although his initial trip is to Shanghai, future trips will be more like tours, spending several days at different clubs in different cities, who can all share the cost of receiving his knowledge and guidance. It makes world-class squash coaching more accessible and affordable for families and Campion’s close work with coaches lays foundations for enduring excellence.

China’s squash growth is causing the rest of the world to sit up and take notice. Tang’s own research suggests there are around 180 squash clubs comprising 500 courts across China, mostly concentrated around the big cities of Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzen and Chengdu (the city which will host the 2025 World Games).

There are rapidly growing numbers of junior players, tournaments and court manufacturers (particularly of all-glass courts). China also has a very sophisticated sports infrastructure which squash can tap into, sharing use of facilities, support systems and expertise.

Campion said: “It’s so exciting to collaborate with FindingSquash on this long-term partnership in China where we are seeing massive growth of the sport. This can only be good for the game on a global level. I’ll be helping clubs develop their junior programmes and spreading the message of excellence.

“I know what it takes to get to that world-class level of performance. Having accumulated that knowledge over my lifetime in squash, particularly over 20 years with England, I now have the opportunity to share it, which is pretty special.”