Procam clinch World Open squash rights

MUMBAI, October 18: Squash in India has received a shot in the arm with the Professional Squash Association awarding the Mumbai based spor...

MUMBAI, October 18: Squash in India has received a shot in the arm with the Professional Squash Association awarding the Mumbai based sports promotion company Procam International the rights to host five World Opens and a World Grand Prix.

The award of the rights involving a prize-money of US $ one million, unprecedented in the history of the sport, was announced at a glittering function at Hotel President on Tuesday evening.

The men’s World Open the most prestigious event on world tour with a 64-player draw involving top player of the world will be hosted in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005. The Grand prix will be held in 2002.

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Highlighting the achievement, Garwain Brairs, Executive Director, Professional Squash Association (PSA), said, “this award represents a momentous occasion and the PSA looks forward with great enthusiasm to working in partnership with Procam International over the next five years.

“We are confident that given the quality and professional reputation of the promoters, the prestige title of the sport will not only be secured but enhance over the next period to consolidate its reputation as the pinnacle event of men’s world professional squash.”

Procam burst into the squash scene way back in 1993 when a special court was flown in from Hong Kong and laid on the lawns of Bombay Gymkhana. The event called, Mahindra Challenge, grew in stature and was later hosted at the Cricket Club of India lawns. It culminated in the World Open in 1998, which unfortunately had to be held in Qatar following a political party’s agitation over the entry of Pakistan players in India.

President of Squash Rackets Association of Maharashtra, Khalid Ansari put things in a nutshell stating, “ if at all anyone is capable of pulling this off, it is Procam International. They have a proven track record in squash and should have no difficulty in turning this dream into reality,”The state minister for sports, Anil Deshmukh, also graced the occasion and promised all possible assistance from the state towards these mega events.