Manchester World Championship Countdown Begins
by Howard Harding
18 December 2012 - The countdown for next year's PSA World Squash Championship in England is now underway following the formal handover of the title in Qatar to the organisers of the 2013 event in Manchester.
The Qatar PSA World Championship brought the elite 2012 PSA World Series calendar to a sensational climax in Doha last week when Ramy Ashour prevailed in an all-Egyptian final to not only win the title for the second time, but also ensure his status as the new world number one in January.
It was in Manchester in 2008 that Ashour became one of the youngest ever winners of the world crown - since when the PSA's premier event has been staged in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the Netherlands city of Rotterdam.
The 2013 PSA World Championship, from 26 October to 3 November, will be the latest in a series of high-profile international events to be held in Manchester since the Commonwealth Games in 2002. The event will get underway at the National Squash Centre, with the final stages being held at Manchester Central in the city centre.
Councillor Rosa Battle, Manchester City Council executive member for culture and leisure, said: "Manchester is the home of squash in the UK and we are excited to once again welcome the world's best squash players to our city.
"I am sure the Men's World Squash Championship will not only be a spectacular treat for sports fans but also inspire people to pick up a racket themselves.
"The Men's World Squash Championship is a welcome addition to our enviable 2013 sporting programme - that also includes major events such as UCI Track World Cup, Rugby League World Cup 2013 matches, and a NBA Europe Live game. Once again Manchester has shown itself to be a world class sporting destination."
Lee Beachill, COO of the PSA, said: "On the back of such a successful World Championship in Qatar, we are delighted to hand over the 2013 PSA World Championship to Manchester. Manchester has a fantastic reputation for producing some of the very best squash events in the world - and put together a very comprehensive bid for this event. After the success of 2008 we have absolutely no doubt that next year's World Championship will be the best ever.
"We hope by the time this event comes around that squash will have secured its place in the 2020 Olympic Games, which will further add to the spectacular occasion," added the former world number one.
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