KSA set to stage top-level squash

LONDON: Professional squash returns to Saudi Arabia for the first time since 2010 next month when the world’s top female players descend on the Kingdom for the PSA Women’s Squash Masters, World Series event next month.

Held at the Princess Nora bint Abdul Rahman University in Riyadh between Nov. 26 and Dec. 1, the Saudi Women’s Masters will be the first professional women’s squash tournament ever to take place in Saudi Arabia and it will be headed by world champion Nour El-Sherbini (pictured) as she targets her first World Series title in more than 18 months.

With no qualifying rounds featured at the tournament, 32 of the world’s top players — comprised of 12 nationalities — will go straight into the main draw, with stars such as world No.2 Camille Serme, world championship runner-up Raneem El-Welily, world No.5 Nouran Gohar and eighttime world champion Nicol David joining the battle for the $165,000 prize money.

The Saudi Women’s Masters is the second women’s World Series tournament of the 2017/18 season and points for the World Series Standings — where only the top eight players qualify for a place in June’s PSA World Series Finals — will be up for grabs throughout what promises to be a dramatic week of action.

“We believe that the Saudi PSA Women’s Squash Masters will have a crucial role in promoting squash to a new generation of Saudi women,” said PSA Chairman, Saudi businessman and Saudi Squash Federation President, Ziad Al-Turki.

“We are delighted to showcase the sport’s leading female players and look forward to the tournament forming an integral part of the 2017/18 PSA World Tour calendar, while simultaneously contributing to the growth of the sport across the region.

“The support of Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan (President of the Saudi Federation for Community Sports) has been instrumental in putting on this event and I am pleased to be working with her to ensure the successful delivery of this tournament.”