LONDON, Nov 6: Delegates attending the World Squash Federation Conference and 33rd Annual General Meeting, held during Men’s World Team Championship in Vienna last week, welcomed Russia and Slovenia into full membership, bringing the Federation’s total membership to 122 nations.

The WSF now boasts more members than 18 out of 35 international federations of sports on the Olympic programme.

Hong Kong made a presentation on 2003 Women’s World Open, to be staged in a spectacular outdoor setting in Kowloon, overlooking the harbour and Hong Kong Island, and gave notice of plans to bid for the event for a further three years.

In a highly-contested bid to host World Women’s Team Championship in 2004, Netherlands narrowly won the rights over Canada.

India’s bid to stage World Doubles Championships in Chennai in 2004 was accepted, and New Zealand won the rights to host World Junior Men’s Championships in Palmerston North in 2006.—PPI