RESIDENTS will be given a chance to try their hand at exciting racket sports which will be served up at Festival Place this April.

The Festival of Squash will invite residents to try out a racket sport with top tips from England Squash coaches and leading Hampshire junior players.

Organised by Basingstoke Bounty Squash and Racketball Club in collaboration with Hampshire Squash and Basingstoke Sports Centre, the free festival will see a number of squash courts set up inside an empty unit at Festival Place.

Members of the public of all ages will be given the chance to try their hand at squash, as well as two of the UK’s fastest-growing racket sports, racketball and pickleball.

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Racketball is played on a regular squash court and is similar to squash with a larger ball and a shorter racket, while pickleball is played with a hollow, perforated ball and has been described as a combination of tennis, ping-pong and badminton.

Simon Ward, from Bounty Squash Club, said: “This is a great chance for members of the public to get active and try their hand at various racket sports.

“We will run a number of competitions and leader board challenges for different age groups, with prizes generously donated by Festival Place retailers and other local businesses, including The Entertainer, CEX, Karakal, The Barns, Longdog Brewery and Hatch Mansfield.

“There will be qualified England Squash coaches on hand to introduce people to the sport, and we will also have some of our top Hampshire junior players to give a showcase and demonstration – there will also be the chance for visitors to have a hit with some of our top players.”

Alongside the racket sport sessions, the club will also be showcasing the new Lymb-io interactive gaming system, which turns any room into an augmented reality space with an interactive wall projection and sensor technology.

The semi-final of the British Open Squash Championship will also be streamed live from Birmingham.

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Festival Place events and community manager Sian Fisher added: “This is a great opportunity for members of the local community to find out more about the racket sports available in our area.

“The free event is a really fun way to showcase what’s on offer, and signpost members of the public to venues where they can play locally, from Basingstoke Sports Centre within Festival Place to Bounty Squash Club, Beechdown Health and Fitness Club, and other venues around Hampshire.”

All sessions will be free.

The Festival of Squash will run from 9.30am to 4.30pm on Saturday, April 15.

For more information, visit festivalplace.co.uk.