China Open Headlines Growth For Squash In Asia by Nathan Clarke April 7, 2014
- The PSA World Tour are delighted to announce that Shanghai will play
host to the largest ever World Tour event to take place in China, when
the 2014 China Open - Squash Stats On The Bund, a PSA International 70,
gets underway on September 2. Taking place on the
11th floor of the The Peninsula Shanghai, the China Open will begin
just days after the conclusion of the 2014 Hong Kong Open, one of the
longest-standing flagship events on the PSA World Series. With the likes of the
Hong Kong Football Club International 25, the Macau Open International
50, Malaysian Open International 50 and the CCI PSA International 25 in
Mumbai already established on the Asian continent, the China Open adds
yet further Asian flavour to the growing PSA World Tour. “We are extremely
pleased to see the PSA World Tour taking further steps in the Chinese
market and are looking forward to what promises to be an exciting event
in Shanghai this year,” said PSA CEO Alex Gough. “The 2014 China Open
gives us an excellent opportunity to take the highest level of the
sport to a new audience and we hope that this will signal the beginning
of a period of growth for the sport in the region. “We have had positive
talks with representatives in many areas including India, Dubai and
Singapore in recent months and hope that we can further build on the
PSA World Tour’s exposure in Asia over the coming years.” 2014 China Open
Tournament Director Franco Amedai, representing promoter SECA, said:
“The Bund is the spectacular centre of a modern and dynamic metropolis
of more than 20 million people.
"Shanghai, considered
as the 'New York of Asia' since the first half of last century, is the
financial pulsing heart of China's gigantic economy. We could not
imagine a better platform than this for launching a world class squash
event in China." The 2014 China Open -
Squash Stars On The Bund, starts on Tuesday September 2 with qualifying
action and the first round of the main draw taking place at the SECA
Academy Squash Centre. The competition will then move to to the 11th
floor of The Peninsula Shanghai from the quarter-final stage onwards.
