The Hindu : Sport / Squash : ICL-Chennai Open begins today

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 20, 2005

Sport

Sport - Squash

ICL-Chennai Open begins today

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: Big time squash is back in the metropolis with the $6000 third ICL-Chennai Open getting underway at the TNSRA-SDAT academy courts on Monday with the qualifying rounds. The main draw competition starts on Wednesday (June 22) and the final is slated for Saturday (June 25).

"It is a new set of players from abroad,'' said the national coach, Cyrus Poncha about the foreign participants. Pakistan-born Kashif Suja, currently New Zealand's national champion, has been given the pride of place here. From India's point of view, the star attraction will be second seed Ritwik Bhattacharya, the senior pro ranked 59 in the PSA circuit, followed by Chennai collegian Sourav Ghosal and Siddarth Suchde, currently a student at Harward. In addition there is a fourth Indian Sandeep Jangra, another trainee at the Chennai's academy in the main draw as a wild card.

The Secretary-General of the SRFI, N. Ramachandran, said the State Government's recognition of squash players in the recent awards function should spur the local players to peg their performance-level higher. He thanked the India Cements for the sponsorship.

Poncha said eight local players along with the eight professionals from abroad would compete in the qualifying phase.

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