CHENNAI: Finally, the Squash Federation of India (SRFI) has set the ball rolling for the resumption of competitive tournaments. After eight months of inactivity owing to the pandemic, the federation is planning to conduct two Professional Squash Association (PSA) Challenger Tour events next February and March in the country subject to the clearance from the sports ministry.
It is understood that the federation has submitted a proposal to the Sports Authority of India (SAI), seeking permission to hold the events next year assuming the pandemic situation does not worsen. It was in September that the PSA resumed the Tour with the Manchester Open in Birmingham, England.
The HCL SRFI Indian Tour Jaipur leg in February was the last PSA event conducted in India before the lockdown. SRFI was supposed to conduct more tournaments in Indore, Chennai, Trivandrum, Pune and Noida but those were called off due to the crisis.
“We are looking at next February-March to have two PSA Challenger events. The venue and the other details will be decided later once we get permission from the sports ministry. I think in the next few days, we would be getting updates on what is approved,” Cyrus Poncha, SRFI’s secretary-general, informed this newspaper.
Unlike many federations, SRFI waited for more time for the pandemic situation to improve before having any training camp or a low-key event.
Recently, the national body gave green signal to hold closed state championships from December after announcing that this year’s national junior and sub-junior events were cancelled.
That apart, it is understood that SAI has told SRFI that they will consider the federation’s request to have an event-based foreign coach with 2022 Asian Games and Commonwealth Games in mind. Having a tour-based foreign coach is not common in India.
The SAI is expected to discuss this with the sports ministry in the coming week and then take a call on the coach. SRFI received five applications in July for the post.