Malaysia to Host Women's World Open
The 2004 Women's World Open Squash Championship will take place in Malaysia in December thanks to the last-minute intervention of World Squash Federation Vice President Sani Karim.
Following Hong Kong's withdrawal, due to the non-availability of an appropriate venue, Sani Karim stepped in with a personal guarantee to stage the event in Malaysia. The championship has been registered with the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA) as a Gold Event, with a prize fund of $62500, and will be held at the National Squash Centre, in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur - the site of the 1998 Commonwealth Games - from 5-11 December.
'We were very concerned at the prospect of the Women's World Open not running in its scheduled slot for the first time since the first event in 1979,' explained WSF Chief Executive Ted Wallbutton. 'Sani Karim's wonderful action in ensuring that the world's premier women's Squash championship will take place is typical of his total commitment to the sport and we are all exceedingly grateful to him.
'Malaysia has been a hotbed of Squash enthusiasm for many years, staging eight World Championships since the Men's World Open in 1989, and this ninth event promises to be the greatest of them all,' Wallbutton added.
WISPA Executive Director Andrew Shelley commented: 'We have a growing WISPA World Tour and have not failed yet to offer the World Open title, even where it has meant us finding sponsorship ourselves. Thus we were delighted and grateful when Malaysia stepped into the breach. Their hosting, alongside the driving force of Sani Karim, will ensure a really strong and dramatic end to the Tour year.'
For further information:
Howard Harding
Tel: (44) 1737-243333 or (mobile) (44) 7773-325130
Fax: (44) 1737-222787
Email: HowHard@aol.com
Following Hong Kong's withdrawal, due to the non-availability of an appropriate venue, Sani Karim stepped in with a personal guarantee to stage the event in Malaysia. The championship has been registered with the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA) as a Gold Event, with a prize fund of $62500, and will be held at the National Squash Centre, in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur - the site of the 1998 Commonwealth Games - from 5-11 December.
'We were very concerned at the prospect of the Women's World Open not running in its scheduled slot for the first time since the first event in 1979,' explained WSF Chief Executive Ted Wallbutton. 'Sani Karim's wonderful action in ensuring that the world's premier women's Squash championship will take place is typical of his total commitment to the sport and we are all exceedingly grateful to him.
'Malaysia has been a hotbed of Squash enthusiasm for many years, staging eight World Championships since the Men's World Open in 1989, and this ninth event promises to be the greatest of them all,' Wallbutton added.
WISPA Executive Director Andrew Shelley commented: 'We have a growing WISPA World Tour and have not failed yet to offer the World Open title, even where it has meant us finding sponsorship ourselves. Thus we were delighted and grateful when Malaysia stepped into the breach. Their hosting, alongside the driving force of Sani Karim, will ensure a really strong and dramatic end to the Tour year.'
For further information:
Howard Harding
Tel: (44) 1737-243333 or (mobile) (44) 7773-325130
Fax: (44) 1737-222787
Email: HowHard@aol.com