Absence of prestigious British Open finally ended

THE British Open is set to end its two-year exile from the squash calendar thanks to Hull City owner Assem Allam, who has stepped in to be title sponsor.

Following the agreement to team up with governing body England Squash and Racquetball, the tournament will return in May next year when it will be staged at the O2 Arena in London.

After that, it will spend the next two years in Hull with Mr Allam’s intention being to stage it at his proposed Sports Village project which he plans to site alongside the KC Stadium.

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That development depends on whether agreement can be reached with the city council on the sale of the stadium.

The last British Open in 2009 culminated in one of the best-ever matches in the tournament’s history when Sheffield’s Nick Matthew – the current world No 1 – beat Leeds rival James Willstrop in a two-hour, five-game epic.

Matthew said: “The British Open is a national treasure and this will ensure it maintains its position as the world’s most prestigious squash tournament and bring the best players to play in the UK.”

News of the event’s return has been warmly welcomed around the squash community, not surprisingly given that until the advent of the World Open in recent years, it was regarded as the sport’s most prestigious event,

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Title-holders in the past have included such greats as Hashim Khan, Geoff Hunt, Jonah Barrington, Jansher Khan and the record 10-time champion Jahangir Khan. Given that and the thrilling nature of the most recent final between Yorkshire’s world-leading duo in 2009, it’s all the more puzzling that the event was allowed to disappear from the calendar for two years in the first place.

Alex Gough, CEO of the Professional Squash Association, which represents the interests of the world’s men’s players, said: “Our members will be delighted that this great event is back on the calendar.

“The British Open has long been one of the most prized titles in the sport - and its return, particularly to the England capital and as part of our new PSA World Series, is a major boost to the Tour.”

In the somewhat unfortunate absence of the British Open, the British Grand Prix, won last week in Manchester by world No 2 Ramy Ashour, has stepped into the void to become the UK’s leading event, with a total prize fund of just under £75,000 being made available. It’s understood the event - promoted by the InternationalSportGroup - will also take place as planned next year.

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