RAWALPINDI, Jan 14: The inaugural Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) International Squash Championship is set to open at the Roshan Khan Complex here on Wednesday.

Offering $25,000 in prize-money, the first two days of the tournament will see the qualifying rounds being played.

The main round starts on the 18th.

Giving details at a news conference Tuesday, Karamatullah Chaudhry, the tournament director said that players from Egypt, Australia, Canada and Malaysia will taking part in the event besides the home players.

Karim Darwesh of Egypt, world ranked No 13 is the top seed for the tournament, he said. Prominent Pakistanis in the main round are Mansoor Zaman, Shahid Zaman, Farrukh Zaman, Aijaz Azmat and Zubair Ali Khan.

On the other hand, prominent among those appearing in the qualifiers are the winners last week of the junior British Open title winners Safeerullah Khan, Yasir Butt and Amjad Khan. Safeer won Under-19 crown, Amjad Khan claimed Under-14 title and Yasir Butt was crowned Under-16 champion.

Karamat disclosed that president Gen. Pervez Musharraf would grace the final on the 20th and give away the prizes.

Meanwhile, Lt. Gen Zarar Azim, president of the Punjab Squash Association (PSA) attributed Pakistan’s success at last month’s World Junior Championship in Chennai and the past week’s Junior British Open to the efforts of squash boss Air Chief Marshal Mushaf Ali Mir.

“We are reaping the rewards today of whatever the PSF president did over the past three years,” he said.

“The players who have earned us these titles would bring Pakistan right back to the top.” Zarar’s PSA is organising the COAS Championship.

Also present at the news conference was Sadruddin Hashwani, chairman Pakistan Services Limited whose Pearl Continental is the official host for the tournament.

Amir Khan, of sponsors Chimera Group and senior vice president of PSF, Air Vice Marshal Saleem Nawaz also attended the press conference.