KUALA LUMPUR:The 2024 Malaysia Squash Cup is set to feature 12 local stars competing against some of the world’s top players at The Curve, Damansara, from Nov 12-17, with a total prize purse of US$100,000 (about RM429,000) up for grabs.
Based on the draw, world number nine S. Sivasangari is the top seed in the women’s singles, leading the local challenge alongside fourth seed Rachel Arnold, siblings Aifa and Aira Azman, Noor Ainaa Amani Ampandi, and wildcard entrants K. Sehveetrraa and J. Yasshmita.
Barring any upsets, a potential quarter-final clash between Sivasangari and Aifa is on the cards in the Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Tour Series Bronze-level tournament.
Other notable players in the women’s field include Egypt’s Amina Orfi and Salma Hany, ranked 10th and 11th in the world, Scotland’s Georgia Adderley and England’s Katie Maliff.
In the men’s singles category, world number 13 Ng Eain Yow will lead the Malaysian charge as the second seed, joined by Sanjay Jeeva, Muhammad Addeen Idrakie Bahtiar, Mohammad Syafiq Kamal and wildcard entrant C. Ameeshenraj.
The top seed is Egypt’s world number 11 Youssef Soliman, with Qatar’s Abdulla Al-Tamimi, India’s Ramit Tandon and Hungary’s Farkas Balazs adding to the strong line-up.
Ace Sports and Management Lead Promoter Jadish Kumar said squash fans and shoppers at The Curve can enjoy exciting matches in the tournament, especially with all the players under the Road to Gold (RTG) Fast Track programme — Sivasangari, Aifa, Aira and Eain Yow — taking part.
“The tournament features six of the world’s top 20 players in a field of 24 players in both the men’s and women’s singles categories. Some of the first-round matches will be held at the Jalan Duta Squash Centre, while the rest of the matches are scheduled to take place at The Curve.
“We are expecting over 100,000 spectators to watch the weekend matches in the shopping mall, set to be equipped with a new portable glass court,” he told Bernama.
