The city of Chennai is gearing up to host two significant squash events: the second leg of the HCL Squash Tour and the Southern Slam. Both tournaments are scheduled to take place at the Indian Squash Academy from June 4 to June 8, 2024.
HCL Squash Tour: All you need to know
The HCL Squash Tour is a multi-city PSA Challenger Tour, certified by the Professional Squash Association (PSA), which aims to improve the world rankings of the players. The tour will feature over 47 players from five countries, including Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Kuwait, Qatar, and India, competing for a prize money of USD 3,000 each in both the men’s and women’s categories.
The Southern Slam, on the other hand, is a 5-star certified tournament by the Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI) and aims to enhance the junior rankings of Asian players. Nearly 250 junior players are expected to compete across various categories (U-11, U-13, U-15, U-17, and U-19) in the Southern Slam tournament.
These tournaments are being organized as part of the HCL Squash Podium Program, a platform where Indian squash players can compete with the world’s best. This is the first of four zonal tournaments to be held alongside PSA tournaments in the coming year, with the aim of giving junior players a chance to witness international competitors and learn from them.
Several top-ranked Indian talents will participate in both tournaments. These include Anahat Singh (U19 & World Rank 114), Ravindu Laksiri (#142), Rathika Suthanthira (#170), Rahul Baitha (#206), Vedant Patel (316), and Om Semwal (#279). Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu, a veteran of the professional circuit and a part of the Indian team that won the gold medal at the 2014 Asian Games held at Incheon, will also participate in the PSA tournament.
Congratulations 🏆🥳🏆to the winners of the HCL Squash Tour Indore 2024 under the agies of SRFI @indiasquash where Ravindu Laksiri 🇱🇰 won the men’s title, Rathika Seelan 🇮🇳 secured the women’s title. @PSAChallenger @HCLEnterprise @Media_SAI @IndiaDunlop @IndiaSports. pic.twitter.com/EdA1FhLRT8
— SRFI (@indiasquash) May 26, 2024
The first leg of the HCL Squash Tour concluded recently in Indore, where India’s Rathika Suthanthira Seelan clinched the women’s title. Anahat Singh, who won the women’s title at JSW Willingdon 2024, did not compete in Indore. Meanwhile, 20-year-old Om Semwal finished as runner-up in the men’s category at Indore, losing to Ravindu Laksiri of Sri Lanka in the final.
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