PSA wants further delay in staging CAS, women squash

ISLAMABAD: The Professional Squash Association (PSA) has called for readjusting the $30,000 CAS International Squash Championship and $12,000 Women International Squash event following the third wave of Covid-19 infection that has hit the sub-continent hard.

The event, which has been postponed twice, was scheduled to be staged here at the Mushaf Ali Mir Complex from May 31 to June 4. The championship was earlier scheduled for April 5-9 and then got new dates of May 5-9 following the earlier readjustments.

Now the PSA has communicated to the PSF that a further delay is unavoidable due to the emerging situation in South Asia.

“Yes, we have received a communique from the PSA in which the world squash body has again stated that readjustment in the schedule is inevitable due to third Covid-19 wave. The PSA now wants the PSF’s consent on the new dates for the event,” a PSF official told ‘The News’.

He added that the PSA was keeping a close eye on the developments and has approached us following the current situation of the Covid-19 cases.

“We have not decided on the new dates yet. Once we get a clear picture of the situation, we would be in a position to hold these international events on new dates which will be communicated to the PSA,” the official said.

“Due to the sudden impact of new variant of coronavirus, the chances of the CAS International Open’s postponement are greater. We have been waiting since long for the CAS Open. Both the events will be staged simultaneously, hopefully at the start of next season,” the official added.

The Asian Squash Federation has already awarded the Asian Senior Individual Championship to Pakistan that will be held from August 25-29 this year. The event will follow the Asian Team Championship to be held from August 17-21 in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

The PSF official also revealed that the federation has got attractive sponsorship to hold some of the mega events in the months to come.

“The sponsors will financially back six international events to be held in Pakistan within the year. We are also looking at holding mega events possibly at the start of next year. Furthermore, the private sponsors will support the CAS women event to be held on the sidelines of the CAS International Squash which will be organised by the PAF.”

He hoped that once Covid-19 impact declines, the foreign players will be turning up in numbers for the event.