MUSCAT, DEC 27
Oman Racket Sports Committee (ORSC) is all set to kick off its top squash domestic event as Oman Squash Open 2023 will begin the action on Thursday. The three-day championship will take place at the squash hall of Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher.
In a first of its kind, Oman Squash Open 2023 will be the first PSA tournament in Muscat under organisation of ORSC in cooperation with global organisation PSA and BWF. The main category of the tournament will be the men’s senior championship. The title of the Oman Squash Open 2023 will be vied for by many top local players who already have BWF rankings besides other overseas players from Bahrain, Kuwait, Iran, Pakistan, Egypt, Philippines, India and Tunisia.
The draw of 2023 Oman Squash Open took place on Tuesday in presence of squash enthusiasts and fans. The technical rules of the draw was based on the top eight players' world rankings, followed by the remaining rankings drawn by lots. The three days event will be played in a single-elimination system format with matches decided over best of five games. The player needs to win three of them. Each game consists of 11 points, and the championship uses the Dunlop Double Dot ball. The draw ceremony was attended by the Secretary-General of ORSC, Eng Taher bin Taghlab al Barwani in attendance of the national team players and participants.
The ORSC targets through the tournament to enable local players earn international points and rise in the rankings. The committee also aim to support and develop Omani players by attracting global expertise and enhancing their performance and improving domestic players' skills.
The three-day tournament offers a total cash prize of $1,900 for the first four toppers in the tournament. The first place player will receive $1,000 and the trophy while the second place player will get $500 and a trophy. The third and fourth placed players will be awarded $250 and $150 respectively.
Dr Abdulrahim bin Musallam al Droushi, Chairman of (ORSC), affirmed that this event is an entry point for hosting international squash tournaments and a first step before hosting advanced international tournaments in the near future. “The Oman Squash Open 2023 Championship is happening for the first time in the Sultanate of Oman in an international standard based on our collaboration with PSA and BWF,” he said.
The chief of ORSC thanked the officials of PSA and BWF for their continuous support. He appreciated the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth's role in upgrading the event into a higher level."Through this cooperation, we look forward to many future initiatives and programmes with these international bodies to develop squash and expanding the horizons of its spread in the Sultanate of Oman. We also wish success to all the players in achieving their goals while participating in this tournament," he concluded.
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