India's Pro-Cam Group signs $1 million dollar PSA event sponsorship agreement

10.18.00

By Martin Bronstein in London October 18 2000 MILLION DOLLAR DEAL FOR PSA
PSA have secured the future of the Men's World Open championship for the next five years, having just come an agreement with an Indian sports promotion Group, Pro-Cam, for $1,000,000 (US) representing prize money for the years 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005.

SUPER SERIES FINALS RUMOUR
The 2002 tournament was awarded earlier this year to Antwerp and will be held in lieu of the Esso Open, with guaranteed prize money of $150,000. For that year India will have a Grand Prix series event, which, it was rumoured, could be the Super Series Finals. However that event has been run for the last five years by Satinder Bajwa, now the Harvard Squash coach.

This year's Super Series finals at the Broadgate Arena, in the heart of London, was considered the best to date.

Bajwa signed a three year deal with sponsor Equitable Life assurance that would take him through to 2002. Speaking from his office at Harvard University he said: "I have a letter of agreement with the PSA for the Super Series final which takes me until 2002 with an option for a further year to 2003. I am sure the PSA will stand by that agreement."

LARGEST EVER PRIZE FUND
PSA Executive Director Gawain Briars was delighted with the latest contract saying that the million dollars presents the largest ever prize find in the history of the professional game and will provide levels of prize money the players deserve. "We are confident that the quality and professional reputation of Procam International is such that the prestige of the leading title in our sports will not only be secured but further enhanced over the next period to consolidate its reputation as the pinnacle event of men's world professional squash," he said at the press conference in Mubai.

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UNHAPPY AUSSIES.
However in Melbourne, Australia, the announcement brought consternation; the 2001 Men's World Open has been billed as part of the Melbourne Squash Festival which has been advertising a 4-event festival: The Men's Open, Women's Open, Men's World team championships and the World Masters Championships.

The agreement for the Men's Open to be held in Melbourne was made with Briars' predecessor, John Nimick.

"We had had no telephone calls from Briars since he took over. I called him last week and then he I understood there might be a problem," Festival Director Paul Vear told Squashtalk. "Taking away the PSA event could jeopardise the whole festival. We have obtained Federal and State grants based on a 4-event festival. We've signed deals based on this and we must deliver four events. We are considering action," said Vear, who did not elaborate on that last statement.

It is understood that a compromise may be in the offing, in which there may be two men's pro squash events held in 2001 with a World Title name in the event.

BOOM YEARS ARE BACK IN BRITAIN
This has been a good year for squash as far as sponsorship goes in Britain. After the boom of the eighties, sponsors simply vanished. When the Hi-Tec sponsorship of the British Open finished after ten years, it went to Wales for three years. The 1998 British Open was saved at the last minute by Mike Corby, owner of a chains of squash and fitness clubs, who is a vice-president of the World Squash Federation.

The 1999 event was also a last minute affair with the Fablon Group finally signing an 8-year agreement with the SRA worth over a million pounds ($1,500,000) just in time to stage it in Aberdeen in December.

The Fablon Group has also signed a nine year, £3million ($4.5 million) contract with the WSF covering the Women' World Open and team championships. After a lean six years, it seems that the good times are coming back to squash.

• Golestan Radwan: Egypt
• Tomas Barva, Czech Republic
• David Blick, Alaska USA
• Kim Tunney: Midwest USA
• Andre Maur: Atlanta USA
• Paul Ansdell: Massachusetts USA
  

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