KARACHI, July 19: The two-day pre qualifying rounds of US dollars 85,000 Pakistan Open Squash Championship, involving home players, begins at the PN Roshan — Jahangir squash complex from Wednesday at 11.00 a.m.

The attendance of already selected players representing the four provinces, will be held at the venue at 10.00 a.m. This will be followed by draws and the matches.

Top eight players of the first stage will advance in to the qualifying rounds and join the twenty four players, including foreigners, in the 32-men draw. Again top eight contenders will move in to the main round which gets underway at the renovated DHA Asif Nawaz squash complex from July 24.

Wing Cdr Zulfiqar Ahmed, secretary, Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) told Dawn on Tuesday that Bradley Hindle of Australia, ranked 87th in the world, has reached here to appear in the qualifying rounds.

He said world No 1 Thiery Lincou of France will arrive on July 22 at 11.00 a.m. followed by other foreign players.

The PSF secretary expressed his gratitude to Corps Commander, Commander Karachi, Administrator DHA and the DCO for extending their support in making the event a success.

He disclosed that Shahra-e-Faisal, DHA and other main thoroughfares of the city would be decorated with hoardings. The step, he said, will send positive signals pertaining to city around the globe and help in securing sponsorship for the World Team Squash championship being held at Islamabad in December.

He informed that the DHA had recently spent a sum of Rs 2 million on the renovation of Asif Nawaz squash complex which had played host to the World Open and World Team championship in 1993.

Zulfiqar said the Sindh chief minister, Arbab Ghulam Rahim, has issued directives to sleuths of law enforcement agencies to extend extra security cover to the event which will lead in restoring the mage of the city.