PSF ask PSA to waive off tournaments security fee
PSA takes US $5,000 from PSF as a part of security fee for each international tournament.
ISLAMABAD (APP) - Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) has asked Professional Squash Association (PSA) to waive off the tournament’s security fee, as it was hampering the development of the game in the country.
“PSA takes US $5,000 from PSF as a part of security fee for each international tournament to be hosted by Pakistan,” Squash legend Qamar Zamar told APP on Monday.
Qamar, who was also the vice president of the federation, said PSA was not seeking any security fee from other countries hosting PSA events. “The tournaments security fees was only set for Pakistan which makes it totally unjust,” he said.
He said he and PSF had written separate letters to PSA asking to waive off the security fees.
“The sponsors for the tournaments are discouraged when they come to know about the security fees,” he said.
“I will personally go to PSA’s head office in London to resolve the matter if no development is done in sometime,” he said.
Qamar, who won the British Open in 1975, said the international sports activities were booming in the country in the form of cricket, and squash.
Recently Pakistan hosted Sri Lanka for an ODI and Twenty20 series in Karachi and Lahore, respectively.
Qamar, who had reached the British Open final on four further occasions in 1978, 1979, 1980 and 1984, said as part of PSF efforts international squash competitions have been revived in cities including Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. “Like other cities we are also trying to hold international competitions in Peshawar,” Qamar, who was also the runner-up at the World Open four times in 1976, 1979, 1980 and 1984, said.
He said 20 to 21 tournaments were being organized in Peshawar annually to bring new talent to fore and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was very cooperative in this regard. “Peshawar was the hub of squash players as it had provided many World Champions to Pakistan,” he said.
