‘Holding low prize money events with national status harming squash’

KARACHI: Questions have been raised about some provincial squash associations holding low prize money events with national status.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Squash Association (KPSA) has long been organising low prize money junior events with national status for different age categories. Junior players of other provinces find it difficult to participate in these events. Since these events carry full ranking points, the players of other provinces fall in national ranking with such events after every few months.

According to details, KPSA recently organised KP All Pakistan National Squash Championship at Hashim Khan Complex, Peshawar, for boys under-13, under-15, and under-17 age categories.

The event was held from July 24-29 and the prize money was just Rs100,000. Before this event, All Pakistan Junior National Squash Championship was held at Punjab Squash Complex, Lahore, for boys under-11, under-13, and under-15 age categories. The event was held from July 10-15 with prize money of Rs100,000.

“These two events in one month organised by two different provincial associations harmed a number of players as they failed to participate in one of them. The prize money too was very low,” said an official of a provincial association.

The official added that provincial associations, especially that of KP, have made national level events a joke. “A national level event should not offer less than Rs300,000. It should be open for all age categories instead of two or three,” said the official.

The official added that this trend of holding low-prized national level events and that too for a few age categories should be immediately stopped and PSF must intervene to curtail this damaging practice.