IAN Wright is Mr Racketball seven-times national champion, vice president of the Kent Squash and Racketball Association, first honorary secretary of the British Racketball Association and, above all, he invented the game too.

The Wilmington man is also vice president of Bexley Lawn Tennis, Squash and Racketball Club and the Kent Lawn Tennis Association.

It is enough to keep a young man busy so for Ian, who is 71 and stills beats most opponents with a racket, it is a remarkable achievement.

He said: "I have always been very sporty having played tennis, squash and even appeared for Blackheath rugby club.

"I don't have a secret or look to anyone to aspire to. To be honest at my age you just aspire to be able to play the next game."

He added: "The county racketball championship is in September and as there is no over-70s category I will be playing the young whipper-snappers in the over-55s."

To have a sport's origin accredited to your name is something special and Ian had the determination to see his idea through, even when it appeared to be going nowhere.

The Tredegar Road resident said: "I was touring Canada as an international referee for the World Squash Championships in 1976.

"While there, I played American racquetball on a court smaller than a regular squash court and where all surfaces were being used.

"I thought it would be a suitable game if adapted as a dual use facility for squash courts so I let air out the ball, which had been too bouncy for the smaller court, and kept the same rackets."

Ian wrote to Dunlop with his new idea but squash was enjoying a boom in popularity and interest in his invention was limited.

Gradually, as the 70s became the 80s, squash's popularity dwindled and people wanted something new to play.

At this time Ian was honorary secretary of the European Squash Rackets Federation so he modified the constitution and compiled a set of rules, thereby inventing racketball he spelt it differently to keep it separate from the US version.

His constitution and rules were adopted by a special meeting and on February 13, 1984, the British Racketball Association was founded and the national championships organised.

Racketball's popularity grew with over 30,000 players across the world as Ian introduced it to Europe, Bermuda and South Africa.

He said: "There are now roughly 50,000 players in the UK alone and around 200 at the club, 72 of which play in the internal league.

"At the national championships in Birmingham recently there were 150 entrants which is not bad."

Ian won the first four over-50s national titles from 1984 to 1988 and then took the over-65s crown in 2004 and 2005.

His latest success was winning the over-70s title in those championships, held in the Midlands.

Bexley club member John Prowse won the over-60s title while Paul Slater was runner-up in the over-35s and Peter Lewis was the losing semi- finalist in the over-55s.

Ian first picked up a racket of the tennis variety in 1951 but he truly learnt to master the genre playing squash while with the Air Forces in Egypt.

Having more than 55 years in the racket-business in one form or another means Ian is in good shape to beat those over-55 whipper-snappers.