WISPA Heralds New Three-Year World Championship Agreement
The three-year deal will see Stolwijk & Eichhorn (S & E) stage and promote the event with a minimum prize fund approaching half a million dollars and a total investment of $1.5 million.
The event will not only be the centrepiece of the WISPA World Tour but would, under the auspices of the World Squash Federation (WSF), provide a further boost to squash’s Olympic aspirations, starting in the year of the IOC decision for the 2016 programme.
S & E partner Arno Stolwijk expressed his excitement about the partnership: "We are very proud of our new partnership with WISPA. The continuity of three years of hosting this major championship provides us with the opportunity for really strong planning towards partnering with sponsors, organising great events and enabling us to improve the profile of the elite squash environment in the Netherlands and beyond in a structured way.
"We can't wait to announce further details regarding the first championship in 2009," added Stolwijk.
WISPA President Natalie Grainger emphasised the importance of the event in developing the WISPA Tour. "This wonderful continuity for the ‘Worlds’ means we can really begin to plan a strong long-term calendar of major championships. These are exciting times for WISPA we look forward to forging ahead with S & E in the coming years."
WISPA Chief Executive Andrew Shelley focused on the television aspects of the new partnership: "One important benefit of this agreement is that it enables us to spearhead improvements in the quality and spread of our television programming. This will benefit many other events as well as the profile of the sport too.”