WORLD SQUASH NEWS

WISPA World Tour Hits Million Dollars

International women's squash comes of age today (Thursday) with the revelation that the WISPA World Tour has crashed through the million (US) dollar barrier for the first time.

"We are making real progress," exclaimed Andrew Shelley, Executive Director of the London-based Women's International Squash Players' Association.

The Tour value for 2004 will be $1.1 million, a rise of 44% on 2003.  The increase stems not only from new WISPA Gold events launched for the first time this year but also from further tournaments making their debuts, coupled with increased prize funds from many others - across all levels.

Among the new WISPA "majors" this year have been the Kuwait Open, the Qatar Airways Challenge, the Brunei International, the Bahrain WISPA Classic and the forthcoming Shanghai WISPA WorldStars - WISPA's inaugural event in mainland China which will take place in November.  All of these events have benefited from the increased international distribution of the Qatar Airways-sponsored WISPA Television programming.

However Shelley, while delighted, suggests that there is still more to be done:  "We are only moving out of the foothills.  The large increase this year must become a springboard for future growth rather than a result in itself," added the driving force behind WISPA.

"Our superb promoters at all levels really enjoy having our great bunch of professionals coming to their cities, seeing the standard and getting the media attention.  Like us, they are keen to build upon success - so hand in hand we grow together," he concluded.  

The news follows last week's announcement that this month's Harris British Open will be elevated to WISPA Gold status, and also that the Women's World Open will now take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in December.