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.
Saurav 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."
Punj Lloyd has appointed Infinity Optimal Solutions Private Limited (IOS) as the exclusive agency responsible for the overall management and promotion of Punj Lloyd's Squash Masters 2010. Regular updates about the event will be available on www.punjlloydsquashmasters.com as well as through updates from the media centre at IOS.
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