LAHORE, July 30: Pakistan will host the silver jubilee edition of the World Open squash at Lahore from Dec 12-21.
This was announced by Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) senior vice president, Air Vice Marshal Rashid Kaleem at a press conference, jointly addressed by the Punjab Squash Association (PSA) president Lt Gen Zarar Azeem on Wednesday.
“Watching the track record of PSA which had successfully held the Pakistan Open last year, PSF decided to award one of the world’s most prestigious competition to it”, Rashid said.
Pakistan was the second bidder after Dubai and Professional Squash Association awarded it to this country.
Outlining the details of the tournament, Zarar said the prize money was US $150,000. Besides an additional amount of $20,000 was needed to meet expenses.
He said that two-day qualifying round would be held on Dec 12 and 13.
The main round would be played from Dec 14 to 21 in which a total of 64 players would compete, he added.
According to the rules of the world body there would be no wild card entry for the World Open, he said.
To a question, Zarar said that he had three venues where the tournament could be held. He said that an indoor venue would be his first priority keeping in view that inclement weather had hampered the proceedings of the Pakistan Open and this time such incidents would avoided.
Two world, four international and 10 local referees would be there to conduct the matches.
Earlier, PSF official Rashid also said that the federation had organised a number of events and still had a hectic programme ahead for the current year.
A CAS tournament will be held in Peshawar from Aug 4-9. The national league will also run simultaneously.
An international event will also be organised in Peshawar from Aug 16 to 21. Hashim Khan national junior championship had been allotted to Islamabad. It will be held in the first week of September. CNS Open championship wo uld be held at Karachi from Sept 21 to 25.
Pakistani players will take part in the British Open to be staged in the first week of October.
The Pakistan team would also scheduled to take part in the World Team Championship which would be organised by Austria in Vienna in the third week of October.
The World Open was the last item on the agenda of the PSF. He said that a training camp in which eight top players were honing their skills was in progress at Islamabad.
Those attending the camp are Mansoor Zaman, Shahid Zaman, Muhammad Ilyas, Arshad Iqbal Barki, Majid Khan, Khayal Mohammad, Farrukh Zaman, Zubair Ali.
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