23 Jan 03
BRIT INSURANCE CONFIRMED
AS NEW TITLE SPONSOR OF THE
SUPER SERIES SQUASH FINALS
London-based insurance company Brit Insurance Holdings PLC has been confirmed as the new title sponsor of The Super Series Squash Finals, one of the sport’s most coveted events.

Contested by the top eight qualifiers from the annual Professional Squash Association (PSA) Super Series tour, the 2003 Brit Insurance Super Series Squash Finals will be staged in a specially-constructed all-glass court at the Broadgate Arena in the heart of the City of London from Monday 12th – Friday 16th May.

Philip Wolski, General Manager, (Sales & Marketing) of Brit Insurance Holdings PLC, commented: “Sponsorship of the Super Series Squash Finals presents us with a valuable opportunity to further increase our brand exposure in the City. The Tournament is the only major professional sporting event to take place in the City of London and attracts excellent international media coverage. We are delighted to be supporting an event of such stature.”

The Brit Insurance Super Series Finals will be promoted by specialist sports brand-building consultancy WSM, in partnership with CSS. Andrew White, WSM’s CEO, and Satinder Bajwa, President of CSS, are both delighted to have the valuable support of Brit Insurance in 2003.

Bajwa, who first promoted the event in 1996 and who will fulfil the role of Tournament Director, said: “We are delighted to welcome Brit Insurance as our new sponsor of the Super Series Finals. Since its inception in 1992, the event has grown in stature year on year and we can now proudly boast one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world game. I am confident that Brit Insurance will benefit enormously from their association with the event.”

WSM’s Andrew White added: “The Super Series Finals is one of the most popular events in the calendar with both players and fans alike. Its unique location in the heart of the city of London – just a minute’s walk from Liverpool Street Station - enables sponsors to communicate directly with a vast captive audience during the course of the tournament week. We look forward to working with Brit Insurance to maximise their sponsorship activity over the coming months.”

Gawain Briars, Executive Director of the PSA, is equally upbeat about the new association. “We are extremely pleased to have secured another three-year agreement with Satinder Bajwa and the team at WSM for this prestigious PSA Tour event, adding commitment and integrity to our world calendar especially in a time of diminishing global sponsorship opportunities,” Briars enthused. “It is also wonderful to welcome a new sponsor on board and we are confident that Brit Insurance will receive excellent value for money from this endorsement.”

The 2003 Finals, once again presented by The British Land Company plc – owners of the Broadgate Arena - will see eight of the world’s top ten ranked players go head-to-head for a share of the $60,000 prize fund. The field is made up of the leading points scorers from the seven Super Series Tour events staged around the world in 2002, including; The Tournament of Champions (New York), The Pakistan Open, The British Open, The PSA Masters in Qatar, The Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Open, The Qatar Classic and The World Open in Antwerp.

Opening the defence of his title on May 12th will be Australia’s 26-year-old reigning world champion, David Palmer, who last year defeated France’s Thierry Lincou in a thrilling 92-minute final to clinch his first Super Series Finals crown.

The 2003 line-up also includes England’s current world number one, Peter Nicol - a three-time winner of the Super Series Finals - and his great rival from Canada, Jonathon Power, the former World Champion, reigning Commonwealth Champion and current world number two.

Providing stern opposition for Nicol, Power and Palmer will be Scotland’s world number four, John White, Australians Stewart Boswell and Anthony Ricketts, last year’s beaten finalist Thierry Lincou and England’s Lee Beachill. Ricketts and Beachill, ranked 7 and 9 in the world respectively, will be making their Super Series Finals debuts.

Official website:
www.squashplayer.co.uk/superseries

 

About Brit Insurance Holdings PLC
(“Brit Insurance”)

 

Brit Insurance Holdings PLC is an insurance holding company that writes both direct and reinsurance business through Lloyd’s and its FSA regulated company, Brit Insurance Limited.

In 2003, Brit Insurance is forecast to write in excess of £1billion of premium income (gross) of which approximately £850 million will be for its own balance sheet.

Brit Insurance is a FTSE 250 insurer listed on the London Stock Exchange with a market capitalisation of £608 million. Its FSA company, Brit Insurance Limited, is rated A with a positive outlook by Fitch. A M Best recently increased the rating for Brit Insurance Limited to A (Excellent) with stable outlook.

www.britholdings.com