Dubai to host squash World Series Finals

Dubai - World's top eight players will gather in the UAE for season-ending event for next three years

Dubai continues to grow in stature on the world sports stage and this status of being one of the best places to hold a world championship was further established with the announcement of the emirate being chosen as the venue for the season-ending squash world series finals for the next three years.
The Professional Squash Association (PSA) - the international governing body for the sport has decided to give Dubai the special position to be the host for the Dubai World Series Finals.
The 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 competitions will all take place in the emirate after an agreement was reached between the PSA and Dubai Sports Council, facilitated by Falcon and Associates, a media release from the organisers said on Wednesday.
In order to compete at the spectacular season-ending event in late May of each year, both the men's and women's players will have to rank in the top eight on the 'PSA Road To Dubai Standings'. Ranking points are accumulated at every PSA World Series tournament which sees players compete in nine locations around the world before reaching Dubai.
The PSA World Series 2015-16 season kicks off in Philadelphia in October, followed by Qatar and Seattle in November, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur in December before moving to New York City in January, Chicago in February, Egypt in April, the United Kingdom in May and the World Series Finals in Dubai later that month.

With many of the sport's high-ranking players hailing from the Middle East, the PSA Dubai World Series Finals will build on the already strong regional presence and popularity of squash.
"Hosting the PSA Word Series Finals in Dubai is an opportunity for us to create further awareness of the prestigious game in this part of the world. Staging this event next year strengthens the UAE's position in general, and Dubai's position specifically, as a leading sports destination in the world, as we add squash to our already impressive and diverse sports portfolio. We are confident that this event will help raise the profile of the professional game and boost its popularity in Dubai, the UAE and across the region," secretary general of Dubai Sports Council, Saeed Hareb said.

Chief executive of PSA, Alex Gough, said: "We are delighted that an agreement has been reached which will see the PSA Word Series Finals take place in Dubai for the next three years in what is a very positive and exciting move for the tournament and for the sport in the region. The PSA World Series Finals is an iconic tournament on the squash and sporting calendar and one of the most high-profile events of the tour.
"We are committed to expanding the tournament over the next few years and having the event securely positioned in a world-class sporting destination such as Dubai will certainly help us achieve this goal."
Ziad Al Turki, PSA chairman, said: "The tour is now in a much stronger position, both financially and administratively, and it has been reassuring to see this significant growth. Securing a three-year agreement for the PSA World Series Finals will allow the PSA to create a lasting legacy in Dubai and generate interest in the sport across the region."
moni@khaleejtimes.com