Karachi to host $60,000 world under-23 squash event

KARACHI: Sindh Squash Association is going to host World Under-23 & Junior Squash Championships with the prize money of $60,000 in April next year.

The high prize event was allotted to Pakistan by World Squash Federation in which top players from all over the world will participate. But this allotment has created issues between the SSA and Punjab Squash Association (PSA) over the hosting rights.

Secretary PSA Tariq Siddiq Malik wrote a letter to Pakistan Squash Federation and offered to host this event in November this year with the prize money of $100,000. “Punjab Squash wants to host World U-23 Squash Tournament in Lahore with the prize money of $100,000 from November 24-29. Kindly confirm the availability of the dates,” stated Secretary PSA in a letter to Secretary PSF. But the federation has allotted the hosting rights of this event to SSA, which disappointed PSA.

“This is not justified. We approached PSF on August 21st for hosting this event and that too with very high prize money. But this has been allotted to SSA with much lower prize money. This is not right,” said an official of PSA while talking to ‘The News’.

The official added that Adnan Asad is the Vice President of PSF which is the possible reason the PSF favoured him with the hosting rights of this event. Adnan termed the claim of PSA false and said it was he who approached WSF for this event during the WSF World Junior Championships in the United States in July. “I had a meeting with WSF officials and bid for this event as it will help our players,” said Adnan.

The WSF, he added, then agreed and PSF after endorsing this event submitted the required deposits with WSF as this event is held with very high security. “The event was first to be held in November this year but due to clash of dates with Professional Squash Association’s events this will now be held in April and WSF will decide the seeding and all other technical requirements of this event,” said Adnan. He added that the draw of this event would be of 32 places.