PSA & Bermuda Celebrate Record Three-Year Agreement

The Professional Squash Association (PSA) and the Bermuda Squash Rackets Association (BSRA) are celebrating a record $350,000 agreement which will bring two flagship PSA Tour events to the tiny semi-tropical island paradise.

Bermuda, "the jewel of the Atlantic Ocean", will host the PSA Masters in 2005 and 2006, with the climax of the historic agreement being the staging of the World Open in 2007.

The PSA's biggest-ever single deal follows the success of the inaugural Bermuda Open in March. The five-star event was staged in the island's city of Hamilton and attracted a star-studded field led by eight of the world's top ten players.

The 2004 PSA Qatar Masters, the final of which took place in the Qatar capital Doha on Sunday (25 April), brought to an end the event's three-year association with the Middle East country.

A formal "hand-over" of the PSA Masters to the promoters representing the BSRA - Tournament Director Ross Triffitt and Tournament Chairman Kim Carter - was staged at the closing ceremony in Doha.

"Following three years of wonderful success in Qatar, the PSA Masters is moving to Bermuda as part of a major agreement commencing in 2005," said PSA Chief Executive Gawain Briars.

"PSA owes a huge debt of thanks to the Qatar Olympic Committee, Nabil Ali Bin Ali, Hisham Algosaibi, and the Qatar Squash Federation, for their unstinting support of the prestigious PSA Masters over these last three years and now, whilst it will prove a hard act to follow, the time has come for the event to move on.

"Multi-year agreements are a backbone to the circuit, and this wonderful new opportunity has come to fruition following negotiations with the BSRA over this last period," Briars added.

"I am delighted to confirm that the contract sees the PSA Masters 2005 and 2006 go to Bermuda as $100,000.00 prize money Platinum Super Series 32-man draw events. The icing on the cake, however, is that in 2007 Bermuda have agreed to complete the deal by hosting the PSA World Open as a $150,000.00 prize money 64-man main draw and 32-man qualifier event," enthused the PSA CEO.

"Having seen their professional staging of an inaugural major PSA event this year in Bermuda, I have no doubt that the BSRA will deliver with commitment and style when the PSA Masters arrives in Bermuda next year. This is a landmark moment for the professional circuit at a time when men's squash gets more and more exciting," Briars concluded.

Ross Triffitt, the BSRA's Director of Squash, responded: "To say we are delighted to announce this landmark three-year agreement is an understatement. The Bermuda Open 2004 was a great success that was only possible from the support of the Bermuda government, international business sector, local business community and the people of Bermuda. The general public and international visitors were treated to a feast of squash that has left them hungry for more.

"We have made no secret of our goal to host the PSA World Open in 2007, and to have secured the pinnacle event in squash so early in our campaign is a testament to the hard work of the 2004 Bermuda Open Management Committee and the army of volunteers that made the event possible," Triffitt explained.

BSRA President Stephen Young added: "To have the PSA Masters for 2005 and 2006 as part of the deal is a great coup for Bermuda Squash. We now have the best possible build up to the PSA World Open 2007 by securing the next most prestigious tournament on the PSA calendar, the PSA Masters. Bermuda is renowned for its hospitality, wonderful pink beaches, crystal clear water and picturesque settings, and we are positive this will provide the perfect backdrop to showcase the PSA's two most important tournaments."

Triffitt concluded: "The motto of the Bermuda Open team has been 'Onward and Upward' and our extremely dedicated team is already working on making the PSA Masters 2005 a very special event. After seeing the wonderful job Qatar has done in hosting the event we know it is a hard act to follow, but with Bermuda being a premiere tourist destination, the dedication of our team and the support of our community, we are confident we can improve on an already magnificent event."

Photo caption: Pictured at the signing of the historic agreement between the PSA and BSRA are (L to R): BSRA Tournament Chairman Kim Carter, PSA Chief Executive Gawain Briars, and BSRA Tournament Director Ross Triffitt.