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14/10/2004
WISPA World Tour Hits Million Dollars
International women's squash comes of age today with the revelation that the WISPA World Tour has crashed through the million (US) dollar barrier for the first time ...
wispa million
 "We are
making real progress," exclaimed Andrew
Shelley, Executive Director of the London-based Women's
International Squash Players' Association.
The Tour value for 2004 will be $1.1 million, a rise of 44% on
2003. The increase stems not only from new WISPA Gold events
launched for the first time this year but also from further tournaments
making their debuts, coupled with increased prize funds from many
others - across all levels.
 Among the
new WISPA "majors" this year have been the Kuwait Open, the Qatar Airways Challenge, the Brunei International, the Bahrain WISPA Classic and the
forthcoming Shanghai WISPA WorldStars
- WISPA's inaugural event in mainland China which will take place in
November. All of these events have benefited from the increased
international distribution of the Qatar Airways-sponsored WISPA
Television programming.
However Shelley, while delighted, suggests that there is still more to
be done: "We are only moving out of the foothills. The
large increase this year must become a springboard for future growth
rather than a result in itself," added the driving force behind WISPA.
 "Our
superb promoters at all levels really enjoy having our great bunch
of professionals coming to their cities, seeing the standard and
getting the media attention. Like us, they are keen to build upon
success - so hand in hand we grow together," he concluded.
The news follows last week's announcement that this month's Harris British Open will be elevated
to WISPA Gold status, and also that the Women's World Open will now take
place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in December.
WISPA
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