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04-Apr-07:
Prize Fund Boosted to $250,000
World’s richest squash tournament sets
new record for player prize fund ...
Organisers of the 2007 Sheikha Al Saad Kuwait Squash Open
announced today that the total prize fund for the event has been
raised to a new record of $250,000.
In an unprecedented move for professional squash, the prize
money increase was announced on the eve of the tournament’s
qualifying rounds at the Al Qadsia Sports Centre in Hawalli.
The prize fund for the men’s PSA Super Series Platinum
tournament has been increased from $175,000 to $200,000. Another
$50,000 is on offer for the WISPA Gold Event. The total amount
of $250,000 is the highest ever offered for a professional
squash tournament anywhere in the world.
"Our sole desire is to help raise the profile of professional
squash and to benefit the players who are competing here in
Kuwait.
"The decision to increase the prize money was made by Sheikha
Fadiyah Al-Sabah, the Tournament President and sister of the
late Sheikha Al Saad in whose honour the event has been named."
Major General Dr. Mahmoud
Razouki
Technical Director
The prize money increase will have
a significant impact on the record-breaking three year agreement
Sheikha Al Saad Kuwait Open and the PSA. Under the deal, Kuwait
will host another Super Series Platinum Event in 2008 and will
then host the 2009 World Open Championships.
 "I
have just received the wonderful news of the prize money uplift
for the Sheikha Al Saad Kuwait Squash Open. Confirmation of an
increase from $175,000 to $200,000 prize fund firmly anchors
this tournament as the biggest on the world circuit.
"The players will be delighted with this news as they arrive in
Kuwait to prepare for their matches and to know that Sheikha
Fadiyah has even further demonstrated her commitment to the
professional game with this magnanimous gesture - it will be a
tremendous boost to the players.
"Total prize money for the men’s and women’s events over the three years
is now certain to exceed $800,000, an historic contribution by
Kuwait to the world of squash."
Chief Executive, PSA |
 "Sheika
Fadiyah Al Sabah has once again managed to astonish me with her
caring spirit and her support for the professional game of
squash. She has raised the bar yet again, before we even hit the
first ball, by taking what was already the biggest-ever event,
and raising it to an unprecedented $200,000 for the men alone,
and a grand total of $250,000.
"Last night Dr Mahmoud Al-Razouki, the tournament's Technical
Director told me of her plans. I suspect that he had some input
into this decision. For a man doing his first ever professional
tournament, he has had a pretty spectacular influence on the
game.
"It is so refreshing that Sheikha Fadiyah's driving desire is to
make the lot of the professional squash player a better one.
There's going to be a lot smiling faces around the courts this
week, including my own - this is something I've wanted to see
since I began in the professional arena."
Tournament Director
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Egypt's
world number one Amr Shabana heads the men's $200,000 PSA
Super Series Platinum event field. Winner of two Super
Series titles already this year in the USA - the Infor Windy
City Open and Bear Stearns Tournament of Champions - the
27-year-old from Cairo heads the latest Super Series standings.
Australia's
World Open champion David Palmer, winner of the
Kuwait Open title two years ago, is the event's No3 seed and
scheduled to face England's British Open champion Nick
Matthew in the quarter-finals.