JEDDAH, 21 January 2004 — Sixty-one players, mostly from Jeddah and others from Riyadh and the Eastern Province, are taking part in the First Charitable Squash Open Tournament at the Jeddah InterContinental Hotel Sports Club.
The three-day tournament, organized by the Orphans’ Friends Committee of Al-Bir Charitable Society, opens today featuring 50 games, followed by some more tomorrow. Friday will mark the finals and prize distribution by Jeddah Governor Prince Mishaal ibn Majed, patron of the tournament.
Matches start from 5 p.m. today and from 9 a.m. tomorrow. “The tournament carries cash prizes for first eight positions — SR6,000, SR4,000, SR3,000, SR2,000, SR1,500, SR1,000, SR750 and SR500,” the organizers told a press conference at the hotel yesterday. Giving the tournament details were Saleh Al-Turki, chairman of the board of the Al-Bir Society, and Suhail Al-Nageeb, who heads the executive committee of the tournament and also of the Orphans’ Friends Committee. Others included Mazen M. Batterjee, secretary general of the Al-Bir Society, and Fahd A.R. Batterjee, member of the Society.
Fahad T. Al-Refaie, who heads the referee panel, said although this is the first charitable squash open championship, it follows the Meridien Open Squash Championship held in July 2001. Top seeds event are Rais Khan, a Pakistani coach of the Kingdom’s Squash Team, followed by Bandar Alitaiby, a Saudi, and two other Pakistanis — Essa Khan and Yousuf Khan, coach of Al-Qadisiya Club.
Aside from Bandar, who has remained the Saudi Squash Federation champion for eight years, Sif Uldeen Mashat, the second best Saudi player, will also be seen in action. Others playing in the event are Shahid Khan, coach at King Fahd Coastal Sports City, Amjad Saim Aldahr, Yousaif Kar Ali and Muntasr Azzam, all former squash champions of the Kingdom.
Also playing are Tariq Ajneeh, Ali Khan, Alaa Salem of Egypt and Naif Abu Regar, the Kingdom’s best Under-19 player. “So the tournament should evoke a lot of interest among squash players and followers,” said Al-Refaie who was an Asian referee at the 2001 World Junior Squash Championship played in the southern Indian city of Madras. Al-Refaie and Tareq Ashri, both members of the Referee Committee of the Saudi Squash Union, aside from the society’s Ahmed Basaudi and Mohamed Basra will be taking part in organizing the event.
Apart from promoting squash among the young, the tournament is aimed at discovering new talents and increase the financial resources of the Society,” Al-Turki said.
Bugshan Heavy Equipment, NAFT Services, United Sugar, Sadafco, Jeddah InterContinental and MBC Panorma are among the tournament sponsors.
