NATIONAL players shoot for world ranking points when they compete in the $5,000 Nissan Open Squash Championships starting on May 16 at the Manila Polo Club courts in Makati.
“The [ranking] points are important because they will decide the seeding of players in the Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia in August,” said Philippine Squash Academy President Robert Bachmann at the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at the Golden Phoenix Hotel in Pasay City on Tuesday.
“The less points means that we could face a stronger opponent in the opening draw,” he added.
Joining Bachmann in the session, presented by San Miguel Corp., Golden Phoenix Hotel, Accel and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., were national players Robert Garcia, David Pelino, Reymark Begonia, Lydio Espinola, Myca Aribago, Aysa Dalida, Joan Aribado and newly appointed Filipino-Malaysian Coach Valentino Bong.
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Bachmann bared that Myca Aribado, ranked No. 103 in the Professional Squash Association ratings, earned an outright berth in the women’s main draw, while Garcia, rated No. 342, was picked by the association as its wild-card entry in the men’s tournament.
“The other players will have to go through qualifying round to advance to the main draw,” said the squash chief, adding that as an “M5” and “W5” PSA tournament, the men’s and women’s champions will get 90 points and cash prizes of $900 apiece.
Bong, whose mother is a Filipina, said the tournament has lured Malaysia’s Elvinn Keo and India’s Harinder Pal Singh, rated No. 94 and No. 95, respectively, and will be the players to watch in the men’s singles event.
Malaysia’s Rachel Arnold (No. 55) and Hong Kong’s Vanessa Chua (No. 58) are the main attractions in the women’s singles contest of the competition.
After the tournament, Bachmann said the national team will have a 36-day training camp in Auckland, New Zealand, as part of its SEA Games preparations.
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