The quarter-final draw will be made at a gala dinner in Kuwait on a rest day once the line-up has been resolved.  - File photo

KUWAIT CITY: A brand new event format, reflecting the open draw style of English football’s prestigious FA Cup, will be launched by the Professional Squash Association this week in Kuwait.

The Kuwait PSA Cup will feature top 48 players in the world but the draw for the quarter-finals will not be made until the last-16 round is completed.

The event, set to be played from Nov 23-29, is being held to honour the 50th anniversary of Kuwait, and will be staged under the patronage of Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jal Sabah, the Amir of Kuwait.

The players will be competing for the Sheikh Saad Abdullah Al-Sabah Trophy, created in honour of the late Patriarch Amir of Kuwait.

“Top eight players in the PSA world rankings are so close today that matches between them are often too close to call,” said PSA Chief Operating Officer Lee Beachill.

“Without making the complete draw open at this stage, we wanted to introduce some variety in the final stage of one of our major events.

“We feel the 48-draw format really highlights the tremendous depth currently on the PSA World Tour and with players from 21 different countries all competing in Kuwait, I don’t think our top 50 has ever been so universal.”

The quarter-final draw will be made at a gala dinner in Kuwait on a rest day once the line-up has been resolved. —PPI