B.C. Open Squash Championships coming to town
Email
Print
Letter to Editor
Share
The 2009 B.C. Open Squash Championships are coming to town.
Sponsored by The Travelodge Hotel Vancouver Airport and Sport Central, the draw featuring a full complement of pro and amateur players, begins next Tuesday (Nov. 24) and continues through Nov. 29.
Top ranked Canadian player David Phillips leads the field of the Professional Squash Association (PSA) participants coming from across the globe. They will be competing for over $9,000 in prize money. There are also several amateur divisions featuring players from around the province and beyond. The amateur entry includes viewing of all PSA events in unreserved seating.
The pro section of the tournament kicks off with the qualifying rounds Nov. 24 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Nov. 25 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The main event, featuring 12 pros and the four qualifiers, will begin Nov. 26th at 5 p.m., with the quarter-finals Nov. 27 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., the semifinals Nov. 28 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., and the final Nov. 29 at 4 p.m.
Local talent Thomas Brinkman has been given the wild card which gets him straight into the main round Nov. 26 against top seed Phillips. Several ther local players will be fighting it out amongst the 16 players in the qualifying round.
Justin Todd and Remington Hall both get into the qualifying event due to their current B.C. squash ranking points. Sport Central’s Joe Forster and other top B.C. players—Tyler Olson, Suf Ahmed, Mark Ridgeway, and Luke Vaggers —also receive local spots into the qualifiers but will have their work cut out for them with players from seven different countries participating. All the top 10 entries in the championships are ranked among the top 150 in the world.
Seating for the pro matches is lilmited. Day and tournament passes are available at Sport Central. Call 604-278-8884 in advance.
A silent auction Nov. 28 will support Squash BC’s 20/20 Fund aiding future junior players and Anaphylaxis Canada, helping people fight deadly allergies.
