Brighton star’s New York dream is taking shape

Brighton-born Smith made the move to Columbia University in New York in August to pursue a burgeoning career that has already seen him clinch team gold at the World Junior Championships in France.

It was the dream end to a successful junior career, with Smith now hoping his time across the pond will help him make a smooth step up to senior level.

“The biggest highlight was winning the World Championships with England just before I aged out; it was a nice send off,” said Smith.

“As far as individual tournaments went it was a pretty tough year. I won a few but I should have won more majors.

“There was a lot of stuff getting in the way, injuries and A-Levels, so it was disappointing but winning the World Champs capped it off in a way that nothing else could.

“I lost in the fourth round in the individual to the eventual winner in a very tight game but the team event nullified the disappointment, it was amazing.

“We won all our group games and beat Egypt in the final, who are usually the world’s best.

“England haven’t won it for 20 years, so it was an amazing event to win with a team who I get on really well with.”

Smith is studying Liberal Arts alongside his time on court, with a likely major in economics to balance with a demanding squash programme.

A debut against Drexel University ended in narrow defeat for the young Briton but with the season set to hot up in the new year, Smith cannot wait to get his teeth stuck into a hectic playing schedule having made the adjustment to life stateside.

“The big chunk of the season comes in mid-January and early February against the other Ivies [Ivy League Colleges]. I’m really excited for that,” added Smith, one of more than 40 athletes to receive funding as part of a partnership between SportsAid and Pitching In, a multi-million-pound grassroots sports investment programme established by Entain, owners of Ladbrokes and Coral.

“I wasn’t expecting the cultural differences to be that much, England to New York is like a halfway house – it’s not really mainland America.

“It’s a nice campus and it doesn’t feel as busy as if you were outside in the city.”

And despite being just a few months into his college career, Smith is already thinking about life after Columbia and has big dreams to turn professional.

“When my time comes to an end in Columbia, I will improve at some rate and if I feel like I’m good enough I’ll give it a go,” he said.

“I don’t want to be a full-time professional operating at 100 in the world. If I’m going to go for it, I want to be at least top 50 or top 25.”

Entain, owner of Ladbrokes and Coral, is proud to be championing the next generation of British sporting heroes by providing talented young athletes with financial support and personal development opportunities in partnership with SportsAid. Visit entaingroup.com to find out more