Abdul Jabbar Faisal
ISLAMABAD (October 8, 2021):-As many as 14 male and 8 female foreigners players will take part in the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Serena Hotel-Combaxx International Squash Championship 2021, which will be kicked off from October 11 here at Mushaf Squash Complex, Secretary Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) Armaghan Aziz informed reporters in a press conference at a local hotel on Friday.
He further said that the men's event would be pursuing prize money of $30000 while women’s 12000, as Pakistan number one and world number 45 Tayyab Aslam would be top seed player of the international squash showpiece. “All arrangements have been given final touches including security and the final will be played on October 15, 2021 at the same venue, “he added.
“Besides hosts Pakistan, world ranking men and women players from Austria, Czech Republic, Egypt, England, Spain, France, Hong Kong, Russia, Serbia and Switzerland will take part in the prestigious squash event. This international fixture will be a nice omen for Pakistan squash, which will also open the doors for more international events at the soil of Pakistan, “he further added.
Responding to a question, Secretary PSF said that the federation awarded two wild card entries to upcoming players Under-19 Noor Zaman and hamza Shraif. “Ten Pakistani players are in the main draw, as the main draw has 24 players according to rules of Professionals Squash Association (PSA) and $30,000 will be disbursed among the all 24 players according to their performance, “Armaghan said.
While divulging the details of Women’s fixture, he said that Nadia Pfister form Switzerland would be top seed player of the tournament. “As many as 15 local girls are in the main draw while Pakistani top squash girl Noor ul Huda is 8th seed player of the international squash event, “he replied another question, as he was facing a volley of questions regarding the poor performance of the squash federation.
“Serena Hotels and Combaxx Sports have very kindly joined hands with PSF and Pakistan Air Force (PAF) for the national cause of promoting squash in the country. We heartily appreciate the Sports Diplomacy initiative as shared by Serena Hotel as their integral part to build stronger relations with communities. Pakistan has a tradition of excellence in many sports but competitive sports require the support of organizations through sponsorships and promotion, “he concluded.
