Squash league to feature 128 players at Khar Gymkhana
Squash action will return to the city when the Squash and Racquets Association of Maharashtra (SRAM) flags off the second version of its squash league at the Khar Gymkhana and Bombay Gymkhana, simultaneously, on Saturday.
Initiated by the Bombay Gymkhana, the league will have 128 players divided into eight teams vying for the winner’s cheque of Rs 66,000. Each team will have 16 players categorised into two pools of four each. The top two from each pool will meet at the semifinals which will decide the finalists and subsequently the winners.
“If you look at the European calendar, most professional squash players spend at least eight months of the year playing in leagues. It’s an important format to improve the standard of the sport. That’s our aim at initiating this league,” said league director Raj Arora.
The number of participants has gone up since its debut in 2008-09, when over 80 players took part in the league. “Last time the response was positive so we decided to continue this format. We had bigger plans but because of the economic recession not everything we had aimed for could be materialised,” Arora added.
The SRAM had hoped for more corporate involvement in the league - each team being adopted by a corporate giant, resulting in something along the lines of the IPL.
“For players who are just joining, it’s a good initiative because they can match their skills against really good players which isn’t possible otherwise. For seasoned players, it will be good match practice,” said junior world No.2 Mahesh Mangaonkar.
The league will be held over five weeks on every Saturday and will conclude on June 5.(source:DNA)
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