The
Punj Lloyd PSA Masters, the final PSA Super Series
squash event of 2010, will be the focus of the largest ever
corporate initiative to develop and promote the sport of
Squash at the grassroots level in India.
The announcement was made by Punj Lloyd Group, the
diversified global engineering, procurement and construction
(EPC) conglomerate. The Punj Lloyd Squash Masters 2010
will comprise a series of squash championships to be held
across various age groups throughout India, and will
culminate in the Punj Lloyd PSA Masters, the US$ 192,500 PSA
Super Series event for the top 32 men in the world.
In addition, there will be a major women's international
women's event and series of promotional squash tournaments
including the Punj Lloyd Defence Services Challenge for all
the armed forces and their training establishments; Punj
Lloyd All India Inter-School and Punj Lloyd All India
Inter-University Championships; as well as the Punj Lloyd
Corporate-Club Challenge.
Speaking on the occasion, Atul Punj, Chairman, Punj
Lloyd Group, said: "The success of Punj Lloyd PSA Masters
2009 convinced me that, with the right support, squash could
gain mass popularity - which is why Punj Lloyd will ramp up
its involvement in squash to now include tournaments at
School and University levels besides those for the Defence
forces and Corporates.
"Year 2010 will be truly memorable for squash and for India,
which will see a grand finale of the build-up squash
tournaments with two international series featuring the Punj
Lloyd PSA Masters 2010," he further added.
India's own Saurav Ghosal, the world No26 from
Chennai, and world No38 Dipika Pallikal - both of
whom are sponsored by Punj Lloyd - and Joshna Chinappa,
the world No28, will be the torch bearers for India at the
Punj Lloyd Squash Masters.
 Ghosal
said: "With initiatives like Punj Lloyd Squash Masters, the
younger generation from schools and universities will get an
opportunity to play Squash at a national level. I am glad
that Punj Lloyd has adopted a hands-on approach to develop
the sport at grassroots levels. It is always a pleasure to
play on home ground and with Punj Lloyd PSA Masters being
held in Delhi this year, there is added excitement!"
The promotional tournaments will be played between the
months of August and November, in an individual and team
format, across New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai, while
the Punj Lloyd PSA Masters will be played in New Delhi from
12-19 December 2010. The winners from each of the
promotional tournaments will play in a pre-event of the PSA
Masters in Delhi. Winners will also participate in the
squash clinics of some of the leading players in the world
and will get one-on-one instructions to better their game.
Each of the promotional tournaments will be organised in
association with the Squash Racquets Federation of India (SRFI),
the Indian governmental apex body for squash.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Srivatsan, Secretary
General of the SRFI said: "Punj Lloyd's commitment to
promote Squash in India will ensure the much needed boost to
the game. We commend Punj Lloyd for promoting Squash and
bringing an event of international stature to India, thus
exposing our young talent to the world's best. Squash was
always considered as a niche sport in India and now with its
growing awareness we hope to see it as one of the most
popular sports in India."
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Mumbai Masters 2009
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03-Aug-2010: