The first ever squash tournament in Kenya sponsored by Kenya Orient Life Assurance to promote the game in the country and inspire a new generation of players will be held in Nairobi from April 19 to 21, 2024.
Dubbed “Mara Squash League”, the tournament, which promises a prize purse of Sh1.6 million for the winning teams, has attracted 48 players from Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Nigeria, India and Sri Lanka and will have 8 teams with each team comprising of 6 members including two international players, a female player and Kenyan players, the principal officer of the company, Jackson Muli, said on Tuesday, April 9.
Mr Muli added that it will adopt a league format where partners bid for players and own a team during the tournament.
“This is a sport that is gaining popularity globally and we are excited about being instrumental towards increasing access to the sport by availing opportunities to play for local players as we continue to provide unique and superior life insurance solutions in the country and continent at large,” he said.
Competing teams are Apex Alpha Apes, Braeburn Stars, Court Conquerors, Kenya Orient Life, Lightning Strokes, Mavericks, Royal Nicks, Tuskers on The T’, and the Supernicks.
“Our aim with this inaugural league is to create a platform to improve the structure of squash and get Kenya in the global map of the sport especially now that Squash will one of the sports in the 2028 Olympics games. In addition, we will also be providing an opportunity to help the younger generation take up Squash,” Mara Squash League founder Chandresh Sagar, said.
The tournament will see players receive up to three times the bid money as bonus prize. Additionally, the tournament will have five different categories that will allow player win bonuses for each game won. Players in the first category will win Sh10,000 for each game won, Sh8,000 for second category players and Sh3,000 for third category players. The winner in the fourth category and fifth category will receive Sh3,000 and Sh1,000 for every win.
