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.