Scottish Squash and Squash Australia have announced that Greg Lobban has begun the process to obtain Australian citizenship.
World #22 Lobban, married to Australia’s former World #13 Donna Lobban (Urqhart), has represented Scotland at major events throughout his career, including World and European Team Championships, World Doubles, British Nationals and the Commonwealth Games.
Scottish Squash Statement
Scottish Squash today confirms that Greg Lobban has withdrawn from consideration for selection for the forthcoming ESF European Team Championships in the Netherlands.
Greg is currently in the process of applying for Australian residency and, subject to eligibility requirements, will be eligible to represent Squash Australia from May 2028, providing him with a pathway to qualification for the LA28 Olympics.
Throughout an outstanding career, Greg has represented Scotland on many occasions, securing 16 PSA titles and five Scottish National Championship titles.
Among his many achievements, a career highlight came in 2022 when, alongside Rory Stewart, he claimed a bronze medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
Scottish Squash President Hakim Din said: “Greg has been an incredible ambassador for Scottish Squash during a highly successful career.
“His achievements on the PSA tour and as a multiple Scottish Men’s champion has inspired many of our juniors to emulate his success and we thank him for representing his country with enthusiasm and passion.”
Paul Macari, CEO said: “I admire Greg for his work ethic, achievements, ambition and contribution to the national programme.
“Qualifying for LA28 represents a once in a lifetime opportunity and I look forward to watching him achieve great things as he continues on the next chapter of his career.
“On behalf of Scottish Squash, I wish Greg and his family all the best for the future.”
Paul Bell, Head of Performance and Pathway said: “Greg has been at the centre of a fantastic period of success for Scottish Squash over the last decade.
“He has helped us achieve Commonwealth, World & European medals and represented Scotland fantastically on the PSA Tour.
“Greg’s creative and exciting play is the epitome of the style of squash we promote in Scotland, this alongside his off court manner and big picture thinking means he has been a fantastic leader and role model for every player in the Scottish Squash system.
“Greg will be a big loss for Scottish Squash but as the focus for every squash player now shifts towards the Olympics, there is no doubt this is a great opportunity for Greg.
“It will be strange for the Scottish players to not have Greg as a teammate but they will still have him as a training partner and everyone will be supporting him as he makes the bold move towards achieving his Olympic dreams.”
Greg commented:
“I would like to thank Scottish Squash for their unwavering support throughout my squash career.
“All of my favourite memories as a squash player to date have been representing Scotland at major events like the European Team Championships, World Team Championships and at the Commonwealth Games.
“This has been an incredibly hard decision to make but one that I feel is best for me, my family and life post squash career.”
Squash Australia Statement
Following an announcement from Scottish Squash regarding Greg Lobban’s departure, Squash Australia confirms it is aware that Greg has commenced the process to gain Australian citizenship.
Greg has strong family links to Australia and is married to Australian Commonwealth Games gold medallist and recently retired professional squash player, Donna Lobban.
Squash Australia has been in communication with Greg, and we are pleased to be supporting him as he progresses through the relevant processes with the Australian Government.
Once an athlete becomes an Australian citizen, they are eligible to pursue selection for Australian representative teams in line with applicable policies and selection criteria.
Squash Australia CEO, Robert Donaghue said, “Greg & Donna have long been a part of the Squash community in Australia, and we look forward to continuing our strong relationship with them and supporting Greg in this next exciting chapter of his Squash career”
