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Photo: Photos Stephen Clarke
It’s not often that Cayman plays host to the top sporting talent in the world. In April, the best squash players from all corners of the globe will flock to a glass court at Camana Bay for the Cedrus Investments Cayman Islands Open squash tournament.
And ‘the best in the world’ is not a phrase the organisers are using lightly – women’s world number one Nicol David will return to the tournament she has made her own over the last two years. In the 2010 tournament she was joined by eight of the top 10 women in the world, but due to the increase in prize money as well as the growing notoriety of the tournament, the organisers expect to see all top 20 women in the world attend this year’s tournament. The men’s draw will also feature 16 top players, with 14 regional players including four from Cayman taking to the court. They will be joined by former world number 12 Alister Walker of the UK and world number one Ramy Ashour of Egypt. At only 23 years of age, Ramy already has the squash world at his feet and will be looking to show local crowds why he is seen as the most exciting player in the world today.
Now in its third year, the tournament took a big step last year when the main draw games took place on a glass court erected on the Crescent at Camana Bay. The glass court will be back this year, giving local squash fans a taste of big tournament excitement.
According to tournament organiser Dan Kneip, the aim with the event is to create a spectacle that will thrill everyone, not only die-hard squash fans, and lift the profile of the sport in the Cayman Islands. Due to the calibre of the players taking part, the event will also boost the profile of the Cayman Islands abroad through coverage in the international media.
The event was promoted earlier this year at a squash tournament held in Grand Central Station in New York, and it is estimated that some 200,000 people saw the Cayman Islands booth set up as part of the promotion. Seeing sand, beach chairs and images of tropical waters in the depth of a New York definitely got people thinking.
From a local perspective, the most important impact of the tournament may well be its contribution to the development of the game at the junior level. All profits from the event go towards the local junior programme, and according to Dan the combined cash and equipment benefit to the local programme will be in the area of $100,000.
The tournament kicks off on 3 April, with the initial matches being played at the South Sound Squash Club, the premier squash facility in the Caribbean. However, what most spectators, as well as the players themselves, will be looking forward to are the games that will take place on the glass court in Camana Bay fron 6 April. Surrounded by palm trees with the water in the background, the court showcases Cayman in a way few other sporting events can.
Tickets for the event range from CI$10 to CI$50, but there will also be a free viewing area for those who still want to be part of the action, or are just interested in seeing what all the hype is about.
The event will also feature a junior court where young players can get a taste of the game, and possibly be inspired by the top talent on display to pursue the sport at a higher level.
The organisers have even bigger plans in store for 2012, with the World Open scheduled to take place in Cayman. This will draw all of the best players in the world to Cayman, as well as the attention of squash followers around the globe. If the growth of the Cayman Open over the last couple of years is anything to go by, the event is assured of being yet another great success.
The title sponsor for the event is Cedrus Investments, with the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism serving as the main sponsor.
Gold sponsors are Cayman Financial Review, BDO, Camana Bay, the Ministry of Health, Environment, Youth, Sports & Culture, Maples, Sunshine Suites, The Security Centre and Guy Harvey.
For more information on the tournament, visit caribbeansquash.com.