FTCC to host first squash tournament
- 23 Mar 2021
Gulf Today, Staff Reporter
Emerging as a leading hub of sporting activities in the UAE, the Tennis and Country Club Fujairah will host the inaugural edition of a squash tournament from March 27-27.
The matches of the first squash event of the emirate will begin from 3pm. The tournament will be graced by Engineer Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Bin Saif Al Sharqi, Director of Fujairah e-Government Department.
Sheikh Mohammed himself is a keen squash enthusiast, who is known for supporting and reflecting the attention on the importance of the game, as well as, all other sports initiatives in Fujairah.
A total of 32 players from Fujairah and Dubai will compete in the event to be played according to the Swiss system. The tournament will utilise the Swiss pairing format, whereby all players will be paired from the first round, with equally strong players reaching the finals on the last day. The final round will have all players competing against their closest strength competitor.
Jehangir Khan, Peter Sykes, Sampuran Banerjee and Pieter de Toit are among the prominent players taking part in the championship.
Abdul Ghafour Behroozian, Chairman of Tennis and Country Club Fujairah, said: “We are thrilled to host this tournament for prominent squash players to show their best in an energising challenge in Fujairah.
“We always encourage people to practise squash as it is a very dynamic sport that connects your mental, physical and technical skills all at once. We believe there is a lot of excitement about our first tournament and we are looking forward to many exciting tournaments for squash lovers in the future,” he added.
The entry is open to the public to enjoy an exciting ambiance within social distancing regulations.
Gregory Bachelet, tournament director, said: The Tennis and Country Club Fujairah gives us the chance to organise the first squash tournament in the emirate and I believe it will be a great experience for everyone.
“The tournament will serve as a springboard for future growth. Currently, our short-term objective is to build a competitive Fujairah squash team,” he added.
Hania Reggi, senior sales and marketing manager, said: “The club is upbeat about hosting the first squash tournament. Preparations are in full swing to make it a memorable experience for everyone. We cannot wait to welcome the players and watch them as they compete in the inaugural edition of the squash championship,” she added.
The squash championship comes close on the heels of recently held inaugural Fujairah International Women’s tennis tournament. In January the club hosted the tennis event in which former junior girls Australian Open champion Clara Tauson won the title after stunning the top seed and pre-tournament favourite Viktorija Golubic.
Since last year, the Tennis and Country Club Fujairah has embarked on a drive to ramp up the stakes at the club with particular emphasis on tennis. Since then, more than 60 kids have been training at the facility and it is this bunch of youngsters that the club has in mind for the future.