Squash titles begin

EIGHT international players will be vying for the Oceania Cup and the BSP PNG Squash Open championships title starting in Port Moresby today.
PNG Squash Federation president Edmund Pereira said five players from Australia, one from New Zealand and two from Fiji would be among 52 players contesting for the Oceania and the PNG championships.
Pereira said there was K72,000 up for grabs.
The Oceania winners will be paid in Australian dollars while the local winners (PNG Open winners) will be paid in local currency.
PNG Squash Federation has decided on paying in Australian dollars to attract overseas participation.
“We are trying to promote the event as a permanent fixture every year and make the PNG tournament part of the world professional squash circuit every year for both PNG men and women,” he said
Pereira said the Oceania championships were open to everyone, including PNG players and it was dominated PNG players.
The event this weekend will showcase some PNG talent in the sport as the No.1 ranked men’s and women’s Oceania squash champions.
The staging of the tournaments will also be used by PNG’s top two squash players, Michael Rucklinger and Barbara Stubbings to prepare for the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi next month.
Sponsors for the events include the National Gaming Control Board, Bank South Pacific, Life Gymnasium, Holiday Inn, Street Scene, Heritage Hotel Brisbane, PNG Sports Federation, Lamana Hotel, Data Nets, Moni Plus and Port Moresby International School.