KARACHI: Pakistani squash officials are hoping for a solid entry for this year’s edition of the Chief of Naval Staff Open Squash Championship to be played here in November.

In spite of security fears that forced the ICC to postpone the ICC Champions Trophy, the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) is confident that international squash players will come and play in the CNS Open to be staged here at the Pakistan Navy-RKJK Squash Complex from November 1-6. The tournament will carry a prize basket of US$25,000 and is expected to attract players from several countries.

PSF secretary Shamsul Haq said on Tuesday that top-ranked players from Egypt, Malaysia, England and Australia are expected to feature in the tournament alongside home players.

The CNS Open will serve as a warm-up event for the Pakistan Open to be played from November 9-15 at the Mushaf Squash Complex in Islamabad. The Pakistan Open will carry at stake a prize purse of US85,000, making it one of the lucrative events of the international squash event.

Shams said that a US$11,000 women’s Pakistan Open will also run alongside the menís spectacle.

Pakistan recently hosted the POF-WISPA Open in Wah, which saw in action players from Australia, England, Egypt, Russia and hosts Pakistan.

Shams said that the PSF is confident that foreign players will continue coming to Pakistan to play in world-ranking tournaments here.