Family bloodlines to cross at Birmingham for Donna Lobban

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games could be a family affair for Australia’s no.1 women’s player Donna Lobban.

As Lobban and cousin Cameron Pilley partner up again for Birmingham 2022 to defend their gold medal from the Gold Coast 2018, Lobban could also meet her husband Greg Lobban on the court. 

Greg, who is considered to be one of Scotland’s top players, was selected for his third Commonwealth Games team and will partner with Lisa Aktin in the mixed doubles - it will be the first time he’s played in the event.

For Lobban, if she is to meet her husband at the Commonwealth Games, she hopes it isn’t too early on in the tournament.

“The draws aren't out yet but we’re hoping that we’re on opposite sides of the draw,” she said. “If we’re going to play each other hopefully it would be in the final but who knows.”

Growing up in the Northern New South Wales coastal town of Yamba, Lobban lived and breathed squash from a young age. After all, she lived next door to the local squash court that her uncle Steve Pilley, owned and worked as a coach.

Before she was old enough to go to school, Lobban would follow her mum over to the courts when she’d play socially so it was only a matter of time before she picked up a racquet herself. 

“We all grew up playing squash, playing as much as we wanted, whenever we wanted and spent a lot of our childhood running around the centre,” she reminisced. 

Lobban excelled at a junior level, picking up five Australian Junior titles in addition to claiming a runner-up spot at the 2003 British Junior Open. 

Later that same year, the then 16-year-old made her first Australian team for the 2003 WSF Junior World Championships in Cairo, where she made the fourth round and helped Australia to its first Team final since their last win in 1995 - Australia would end up going down 3-0 to Egypt.

For Lobban, the realisation that she could take her squash to a professional level came when she saw Pilley get a scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport’s (AIS) Squash program in Brisbane.

“I was still in high school but I remember seeing that and thinking I want to do that,” she recalled. “Until that time I don’t think I realised I could play sport full-time and I realised that’s what I wanted to do.

“When you grow up in a small town, you don’t realise the opportunities you can have. I remember as a kid watching the Commonwealth Games on TV, I remember thinking to myself ‘I want to do that one day’ to actually have done that is pretty cool.”

Selected for her first Commonwealth Games team at Dehli 2010, Lobban played in the singles as well as the mixed doubles with David Palmer and women’s doubles with Kasey Brown, where she won bronze. 

Unfortunately, Lobban’s Glasgow 2014 experience wasn’t as fruitful bowing out of the women’s doubles in the quarterfinals but four years later would mark a memorable and golden return. 

Making the gold medal match in the mixed doubles with Pilley at a home Commonwealth Games, the Aussies came up against fifth seeds Dipika Pallikal Karthik / Saurav Ghosal of India. 

Despite a tough and close match, the Australian cousins prevailed 2-0 (11-8, 11-10). As Lobban won her first Commonwealth Games gold, Pilley became the first squash player to ever win three consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medals in doubles.

“It’s so special to play with Cameron especially because he is amazing,” Lobban said of her cousin. 

“His personality is super relaxed and positive, it’s a joy to play with. We did so well last Commonwealth Games because we were enjoying it and enjoying the moment playing in front of our home crowd. 

“We didn't let the pressure get to us, we were so in the moment.”

When Birmingham 2022 takes place it will almost feel like a home Games once again for Lobban, who lives with her husband in Sheffield just an hour and a half northeast of Birmingham. 

She will also have plenty of support in the English crowd from her close friends as she heads into her fourth Commonwealth Games.

“Some of the people that support us at our local squash club over there are really keen to come along,” she said.

“I feel like we aren’t going into it as favourites, but on the Gold Coast we weren't necessarily either and that worked for us so I'm looking forward to going over there and doing our best. 

“The last few years haven’t been easy with COVID and the Australian team being based all over the world…we haven’t had the ideal preparation but as Australians, we are all very resilient of nature and we’re going to give it everything.”

Today marks one month to go until the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Eight Australian athletes will don the green and gold - click here for the full team announcement