ISLAMABAD, Dec 5: A commemorative stamp to mark the World Team squash championship is to be issued this week by Pakistan Post, officials said on Monday. This was disclosed during the sponsorship cheque-handing ceremony ahead of the 22-team event that opens in Islamabad from Thursday.

A top official of the title sponsors Big Time presented a cheque of Rs 10 million to the President of Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF), Air Chief Marshal Kaleem Saadat.

The squash chief praised the sponsors for their support and said the PSF was pleased to be associated with them.

He told journalists that adequate arrangements had been made to hold the event in a befitting manner.

The teams have been divided into six pools with England being the top seeds followed by Egypt at No. 2 and France at No. 3.

The championship will run at the Roshan Khan and Mushaf Squash Complexes.

A two-day World Squash Federation Referees’ Conference is also being held in Islamabad which starts Tuesday.

The pools (seedings in brackets): A- England (1), South Africa (12), Kuwait, Austria; B- Egypt (2), New Zealand (11), Germany, Iran; C- France (3), India (10), Ireland; D- Australia (4), Netherlands (9), Finland, USA; E- Canada (5), Wales (8), Hong Kong; F- Malaysia (6), Pakistan (7), Scotland, Spain.