Malaysia Wins Bid To Host Women's World Championship For Three Years by Howard Harding 8 April 2015 -
Simon Arnold, Managing Director of Hallmark Events Group, today
announced that the Women's Squash Association (WSA), in conjunction
with the World Squash Federation (WSF), has awarded the rights to
Malaysia to host the next three editions of the Women's World Squash
Championship. The inaugural event will be held from 11-18 December 2015.
"We are very pleased to see Malaysia win the bid for this premier
event," Mr Arnold said. "They have a very strong tradition in squash
and hosting the World Championships for the next three years will
continue to build on this legacy.
"Malaysia has real depth of strength in squash. Nicol David has been at
the very pinnacle of the game for the last ten years and it is great to
see Low Wee Wern break into the world's top ten. Furthermore the next
generation looks in good hands following the gold medal success of both
the boys and girls in the recent Asian Junior Team Championships."
The tournament will see a top-class international field of the best 32
players in the world coming together for the largest prize-purse in the
sport. The tournament will feature the top 23 players from the WSA
World Rankings and the eight players who make it through the World
Championship Qualifying Competition, which will be held immediately
preceding the event proper. The final place will be awarded as a
wildcard by the organisers.
Commenting on the historic agreement, which will see the World Tour's
premier women's event staged in the same country for three years in a
row for the first time in its 36-year history, WSA Chief Executive
Tommy Berden said: "We are excited to be returning to Malaysia, a
country with a successful history in the sport. It was crucial for us
to create some stability and continuity for our pinnacle event and we
are delighted to be hosting the Women's World Championship for three
years in Asia, which is a very important market for squash.
"Squash continues to make huge growth in its appeal across a wide range
of audiences and we will be working closely with the promoters to look
at every component of the event. Strategies are being put in place to
design something very special and I believe, given the venue - which
will be announced shortly and is unique - we have the foundations to
put on a great show and set a new benchmark for the sport."
Malaysian superstar Nicol David will undoubtedly be firm favourite to
extend her remarkable record of eight world titles on home soil at the
end of this year. The 31-year-old from Penang made history in February
by topping the world rankings for a 106th month, thereby becoming the
longest-reigning World No.1 of all-time.
Details on the tournament, including sponsors, players, fringe
activities and partners, will be announced closer to the date. The 2015
championship will also be the first to be staged under the auspices of
the newly-formed merger of the WSA with the PSA (the Professional
Squash Association).
