GEORGE TOWN: THE IJM Penang Women’s Open Squash championship has been upgraded to a Tour 10 tournament level compared to only Tour 5 previously.
Squash Racquets Association of Penang (SRAP) deputy president Linda Geh said, with the upgrading, the total cash prize has also increased to US$10,000 (RM32,000) from US$4,000 previously.
“Four of the world’s top 50 players have confirmed their participation at the third edition of the championship to be held at the Nicol David International Squash Centre in Bukit Dumbar.
“We also have 15 Malaysian players participating in the championship.
“Five of them are in the main draw, five in the qualifier and another five local junior players who have been entered for exposure purposes,” said the former national player at the Nicol David International Squash Centre in Bukit Dumbar recently.
Present were State Youth and Sports, Women, Family and Community Development Committee chairman Chong Eng, State Sports Council director Frederick Tan Teck An, IJM Land senior general manager Datuk Toh Chin Leong, tournament director Aaron Soyza, state squash coach Khoo Teng Hin, World No 5 Low Wee Wern and Vanessa Raj Gnanasigamani.
The five players featuring in the main draw are Delia Arnold, Vanessa Raj, Rachel Arnold, Zulhijjah Azan and Teh Min Jie. The qualifying round players are Zoe Foo, Andrea Lee, Chan Yiwen, Siti Munirah Jusoh and Noor Shadira while the juniors are Nur Aliah Izzati, Sara Chew Rou-Yi, Zetty Zawannah, Lee Jia Wei and Lynette Vai.
Foreign players in the fray include former world champion and last year’s runner-up Rachael Grinham (Australia), Nadine Shahin (Egypt), Megan Craig (New Zealand), Lotte Eriksen (Norway), Farah Abdel Mequid (Egypt) and Christine Nunn (Australia).
The five-day event, which started yesterday, is organised by SRAP and sanctioned by Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia and Women’s Squash Association, formally known as WISPA. IJM Land is the title sponsor.