Shelley Kitchen has landed a new role at Squash New Zealand ©SNZ

Double Commonwealth Games medallist Shelley Kitchen has been appointed as high performance programme manager at Squash New Zealand (SNZ).

The Kiwi, who reached a career high of sixth in the world during her playing days, won Commonwealth silver in the women's doubles alongside Tamsyn Leevy at Melbourne 2006.

She also won bronze in the individual event, as well as gold alongside Leevy at the World Doubles Championships in the same year.

Kitchen won four New Zealand titles in a row from 2005 onwards and was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for Services to Sport in 2011.

Shelley Kitchen won two Commonwealth Games medals during her squash career ©Getty Images
Shelley Kitchen won two Commonwealth Games medals during her squash career ©Getty Images

In her newly created role, she will be tasked with the overall leadership of the high performance progamme.

She has already worked for the past two years as a coach at SNZ.

SNZ chief executive Jim O'Grady said: "Shelley will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to this newly created role and I am looking forward to working with her to achieve our goal of international success. 

"Recent performances by our elite and emerging athletes have put squash in a very good space heading toward the Commonwealth Games in 2018 and other pinnacle events so it's great to have Shelley on-board for the journey."