WORLD SQUASH NEWS

PSA Appoints McWIL Courtwall As Official Tournament Court Partner

The Professional Squash Association (PSA) and McWIL Courtwall have signed a three-year commercial partnership agreement in which the leading international squash court construction company becomes the "Official Tournament Court Partner" of the PSA.

The agreement is established to broaden the appeal of men's professional squash through the use of four-wall glass courts, and for the further purpose of making such courts more readily available to promoters who want to present men's professional squash in a state-of-the-art facility.

Gawain Briars, Chief Executive of the PSA, stated:  "This is an exciting new development in squash and an important announcement which is very good news for all parties.  We have inspected and play-tested the new McWIL Courtwall all glass court in major event conditions, and I am delighted to confirm that this product is a valuable new addition to the market."

The spectacular new court made its debut at last month's highly successful inaugural Bermuda Open.  "The court's characteristics, including the floor, lighting and glass walls, are all of the latest technology and will bring a new dimension to showcasing men's professional squash around the world," Briars continued.

"We are satisfied that this court is as good, if not better, than any other comparable product on the market, and PSA is very pleased to have the opportunity to partner McWIL Courtwall in this global agreement.  We believe that PSA events held on this brand new court will prove to be more attractive to our promoters, spectators, event and tour sponsors, and players," Briars added.

A special discounted price structure has been negotiated in the agreement, whereby PSA promoters who choose to hire this court for sanctioned events will benefit from a substantial rental discount off the market rate.

"PSA is of course aware of the financial challenges our promoters continue to have in placing world class events in iconic venues.  This agreement is designed to assist them in crafting viable budgets, thus encouraging greater prospects of presenting the best players in the best venues," Briars concluded.

McWIL Courtwall is one of the world's leading squash court construction companies, with representatives in over 35 countries.  The company has built squash courts from St. Petersburg in Russia, and Cairo in Egypt, to San Francisco in the USA in the last decade, and offers a selection of WSF-accredited materials as well as a wealth of facility design and squash programming consulting input to clients. 

Together with partner companies Glaverbel-Hardmaas Glas and Hamberger Haro Wood sport floors, McWIL Courtwall has designed and constructed a brand new four-sided glass tournament court.  The Hardmaas glass is fabricated with "Pro View Two", a two-colour ceramic dot vision-enhancement system baked into the glass for superior spectator viewing that also optimises the players' ability to see the ball.   The custom-designed real-wood floor is stained and has a unique open surface for maximum player stability and excellent ball grip.

The McWIL Courtwall portable court is supported by Schenker Stinnes, the world's foremost logistics company.  Schenker Stinnes provides ocean, rail, air and ground transportation services to move everything from bulk materials to extremely sensitive goods like glass throughout the world.

McWIL Courtwall and its partner companies have over 15 years' experience in glass court construction.  The Hardmaas Glas court was used for the 1988 World Open in Amsterdam, and a McWIL Courtwall all-glass court was used during the 2002 Women's World Team Championships in Denmark.

The new court will be available to all squash event promoters worldwide on a rental or purchase basis. A daughter company of McWIL Courtwall - SquashEvent.com - will be available for interested companies and sponsors to develop new squash events using the McWIL Courtwall court.

For further information, please visit www.mcwilcourts.com and www.squashevent.com

Photo caption: Pictured at the signing of the agreement during the PSA Qatar Masters in Doha are (L to R): PSA President Mark Chaloner; McWIL Courtwall Managing Partner, Europe, Asia and Africa, Wolfgang Denk; and PSA Chief Executive Gawain Briars.