SQUASH EVENTS IN PAKISTAN: PSA creating unnecessary hurdles

ISLAMABAD: The unnecessary security assessment ahead of each and every international squash event is creating a big hurdle in promotion of the game as Professional Squash Association (PSA) continued to carry out this pointless exercise for the discomfort of players and sponsors.

Pakistan has been singled out by the PSA for such exercise making the sponsors think twice when it comes to investing on game’s promotion. Last year Pakistan has to pay almost 60,000 dollars extra in form of security assessment fee and catering for the independent security officials travelling arrangements.

Though time and again the PSA deputed company expressed its satisfaction on the security measures adopted for each and every tournament, yet the PSA was not ready to accept ground realities. The stubborn attitude of the body has started disheartening sponsors who are forced to think twice when it comes to putting their money in particular tournament.

“Say if we are asked to sponsor $10,000 or $15,000 amount on a particular event, we have to invest an extra five to seven thousand dollars under the head of security assessment. That increases our expenditures, forcing us to think twice whether investing such an amount would fetch us anything.

“We believe spending extra money is totally uncalled for. We have requested Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) to wave off the amount if they wanted us to support the game. However, the PSF plea is that the assessment fee has nothing to do with it and is requirement of the world body. I feel it is unjust and equal to putting up extra pressure on the sponsors,” a representative of the one of the leading sports sponsors when contacted said.

The major cities especially the capital city has one of the safest environments. For the last two years almost 100 foreign tennis players of repute and ranking travelled to Pakistan for the international Futures events. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) never demanded such a security assessment ahead of each tournament and was satisfied with the initial assessment that was conducted almost two years back. Some of the top tennis officials including ITF Executive Director Luca Santilli were here last month.

“If a widely known governing body like ITF has set no such conditions why the PSA has problems with international events in Pakistan? It is amazing that the PSA have no such issues when it comes to hosting international events in Egypt and India.

“The security situation and even travel advisory is negative for both countries in some cases,” the multi-national representative said.

In a recent interview with ‘The News’ during one of the international events, Sam Dickason (Dubai-based security expert) said that coming here before the start of every international squash tournament had been a useless exercise in a broader sense.

“I have never seen the security arrangements as solid and up to the mark as these were seen here for each and every international squash event from the time the Sports Risk representative started visiting here.”

Dickason said that each time he landed in Pakistan he found even better arrangements. “The best thing about security measures taken in Pakistan is that these get better and better with each passing event. Every time I reach here I find even better measures to look after security of visitors at all levels.”

Over the years a large number of foreign players visited Pakistan in connection with different international competitions. Be it a squash, tennis, kabaddi or badminton event, players and athletes turned up in numbers to compete. It is really deplorable to see such required only for Pakistan.

Luring sponsors for squash has always been a difficult proposition in Pakistan. In such a scenario putting extra load is nothing less than making the things even more difficult for those willing to work for the promotion of the game.

The PSA and World Squash Federation (WSF) would have to think more realistically when it comes to dealing with Pakistan. Now when the Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches and host of other international events are being organised in Pakistan regularly, living with old rhetoric would serve no purpose.