Squash: Over 450 entries for 9th Indian Junior Open

Mumbai, Aug 28 (PTI) The city-based Bombay Gymkhana has received over 450 entries for the 9th Indian Junior Open, a premier squash tournament that will start from September 2. The Bombay Gymkhana will also be hosting the 42nd Maharashtra Open squash tournament from August 31 to September 3, it was announced today at a press conference here. The Indian Junior Open, an Asian Squash Federation Platinum tournament, will conclude on September 6. These competitions will be conducted under various categories - boys and girls under 11, under 13, under 15, under 17 and under 19. Championship director Sumeet Rewari said there will be over 20 foreign participants playing in the Junior Open, with 16 from Malaysia, five-six from Hong Kong, two from Czechoslovakia and one from neighbouring Sri Lanka. The total prize money for this tournament is Rs 6.48 lakh and there will equal prize money for both boys and girls winners. Hong Kong players Chan Chi Ho and Ho Ka Hei are the number one and two seeds respectively in the boys' U-19 event, while in the girls' event, the top seeding is being held by India's Sanika Choudhari and her compatriot Ashita Pranaya Bhengra is seeded second. For the Maharashtra Open, the total prize money is Rs 5.84 lakh, with the winners in the men's category getting richer by Rs 1.30 lakh. For the Maharashtra Open, in men's category - Harinder Pal Singh Sindhu of Tamil Nadu has been the top seed, while Englishman Robert Downer is seeded second. For the women's event, Sachika Ingale of Uttar Pradesh is top seeded, while Maharashtra's Urwashi Joshi is seeded second. Apart from these two, the other categories in the Maharashtra Open are - men's over 35, men's over 45, men's over 55 and professionals