Squash: Another falls victim to Asian Cup
By : Devinder Singh, 3-July-2007.

FIRST it was the Manchester United tour, now the Malaysian Squash Open has fallen victim to football’s Asian Cup to be co-hosted by Malaysia on July 7-29.

The Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia (SRAM) has been forced to shift the venue of the Malaysian Open to the Jalan Duta courts after being denied the use of the National Squash Centre in Bukit Jalil for the duration of the Asian Cup.

World No 1 Nicol David and a cast of the world’s top players will now have to play their first round matches on July 25 — coincidentally the same day an Asian Cup semi-final is due to take place at the National Stadium — in the demure surroundings of Jalan Duta before moving to The Curve shopping complex in Petaling Jaya for the quarter-finals onwards.

United’s proposed match in Kuala Lumpur on July 27 had similarly fallen victim to the Asian Cup with the Asian Football Confederation worried the match would take the shine off the continent’s premier football tournament. AFC president Mohamed Hammam had repeatedly said that Malaysia had signed an agreement with AFC and promised not to hold any football events that might divert attention from the Asian Cup.

But it has now emerged that the agreement covers all activities at the National Sports Complex, not just football activities.

The agreement, signed with the Sports Ministry, precludes any major event from running concurrently in the vicinity of the National Stadium for the duration of Malaysia’s hosting obligations of the Asian Cup. That rules out the Malaysian Open, which has attracted nine of the top 10 women’s players in the world, from being staged at the National Squash Centre, a stone’s throw from the National Stadium. In a meeting with officials from Perbadanan Stadium Merdeka (PSM), the managers of the National Sports Complex, last Friday, SRAM was told it would not be able to hang buntings and banners at the centre to publicise the tournament if it insisted on holding the event at the National Squash Centre.

Rather than risk upsetting sponsors and devalue the Malaysian Open, a tournament SRAM is hoping to elevate in profile, it opted to shift the venue to Jalan Duta. But SRAM honorary secretary K. Sivanesan said the association is not unduly concerned with the change in venue.

"We are just relieved we were informed early so that we can make the necessary preparations by informing the players and the world body," he said.

"Only the qualifying matches and the first round of the main draw will be held in Jalan Duta. Our original plan to hold the tournament at the showcase glass court at The Curve for the final rounds is not affected." PSM head Datuk Seri Syed Razlan Jamalullail said his corporation was merely enforcing the terms of the agreement which prevented the Malaysian Open from being held in Bukit Jalil.

"We are obligated to follow (the agreement) although we are not a party to the agreement. But this matter was decided long before I came on board," he said.

He said PSB was losing money because of the agreement since it is not able to rent out the facilities at the National Sports Complex for almost a month. "We would prefer more activities to be held there and all the facilities to be used because the complex is for the benefit of all Malaysians. We are also suffering since it will mean less income for us," he said. FA of Malaysia general secretary Datuk Seri Dr Ibrahim Saad said FAM had nothing to do with the agreement. "As far as I know, the National Stadium is to be handed over to AFC 10 days before the opening match until two days after the semi-final match. "That is why the United tour had to be called off. I don’t know anything about this squash tournament," he said.

Source: NST