1st May, 2014
Following the success of the maiden Lagos International Squash Classics, the Professional Squash Association (PSA) has listed the tournament in its 2014 World Tours.
According to Chief Executive Officer of PSA, Alex Gough, the last major tournament hosted by Nigeria was in 2008 and the return of the tour to Lagos would lure a lot of top class players to the competition.
“It is fantastic to see high level international competition returning to Nigeria and the enthusiasm and passion for the sport which is so evident among the tournament organisers is great to see,” Gough said.
The tournament tagged 2014 Lagos International Squash Classic is a PSA International 25, which is one of the highest levels for the fourth quarter of the year in the PSA calendar.
The last PSA World Tour event to be held in Nigeria was the 2008 Africa Open won by current Squash TV presenter, Joey Barrington.
According to the Chairman, Lagos State Squash Association, Sanya Akindele, hosting the tournament would indeed improve the fortune of the game.
“We’re delighted to be working together with the PSA to see top class squash return to the country and to see some of the biggest names in squash coming to Nigeria,” he said.
“We are very excited to be hosting the Lagos International Squash Classic in 2014 and we are looking forward to what promising to be an exciting week of competition and I hope that it will help boost the popularity of the sport in Nigeria.”
For the Chairman, Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the Lagos Sports Classics, Wahid Oshodi, this is an indication that the Classics has grown in international status in its first year.
“We are thrilled that the Classics is gaining more recognition. This was made possible by the enormous support we got and we are still getting from the sports loving Governor of Lagos, Babtunde Raji Fashola and we hope that this competition will continue to improve each year. We are hoping that this year would be bigger and better in terms of organisation,” Oshodi said.