Professional Squash Association

The Professional Squash Association (PSA) is the governing body for the men's and women's professional squash circuit. The body operates in a similar fashion to the ATP and the WTA for tennis. The PSA's highest professional level, the PSA World Tour involves over 250 tournaments annually around the world. Over 1200 players from all the 5 continents (over 60 countries represented [1][2]) are registered with the PSA and rankings are updated monthly based on players' performances.

Professional Squash Association
SportProfessional Squash
JurisdictionInternational
AbbreviationPSA
Founded1975 (1975)
LocationLeeds, England, United Kingdom
PresidentIndia Saurav Ghosal (Men)
England Sarah-Jane Perry (Women)
ChairmanSaudi Arabia Ziad Al-Turki (ATCO)
CEOWales Alex Gough
DirectorEgypt Ahmad Bassam
United States Ashley Bernhard
Switzerland Claudia Schurmann
England Daryl Selby
United States John Nimick
United States Mike Puertas
Other key staffEngland Lee Beachill (Chief Operations Officer)

Netherlands Tommy Berden (Chief Commercial Officer)
England Lee Drew (Refereeing Director)

England Andy Malley (Tour Development)
SponsorDunlop, Salming, ASB Squash Courts
Official website
www.psaworldtour.com
Current World Tour
Squash

PSA Tours

There are hundreds of PSA tournaments throughout the course of a season, and they are classified into the following categories, based on prize money:

  • World Tour (The most important tournaments in prize money for more experienced and higher-ranked players, including the World Championship and PSA World Tour Finals).
  • Challenger Tour (Challenger tournaments are entry point for young and or up and coming professionals progressing through to a more international level of competition). Tournaments start with a total of $3,000:
  • Satellite Tour (Closed Satellite tournaments can either be National Closed Championships or a tournament/series of tournaments whose entry is restricted to members of an association that promotes the tournament).

PSA World Tour

PSA World Tour (formerly PSA World Series) comprises the most important tournaments in prize money for more experienced and higher-ranked players, including PSA World Championships and PSA World Tour Finals, labelled as following:

  • PSA World Tour Platinum — 48-player draws — $165,000
  • PSA World Tour Gold — 24-player draws — $97,500–$100,000
  • PSA World Tour Silver — 24-player draws — $67,500–$70,000
  • PSA World Tour Bronze — 24-player draws — $45,000–$47,500

Every year, the top eight performers compete in the PSA World Tour Finals. The eight players are separated into two groups of four, and play a round robin. The top two from each group advance to the semifinals (A1 vs. B2 and B1 vs. A2). The winner of the event is crowned PSA World Tour champion.

PSA Challenger Tour

PSA Challenger Tour tournaments offer a $3,000–$30,000 prize-money, ideal circuit for less-experienced and upcoming players, that include the following tiers:

  • PSA Challenger 30 — $30,000
  • PSA Challenger 20 — $20,000
  • PSA Challenger 15 — $15,000 (starting August 2023)
  • PSA Challenger 12 — $12,000
  • PSA Challenger 9 — $9,000 (starting August 2023)
  • PSA Challenger 6 — $6,000
  • PSA Challenger 3 — $3,000 (starting August 2020)

Satellite Tour

Satellite tournaments can either be Regional or National Closed Championships or a tournament/series of tournaments whose entry is restricted to members of an association that promotes the tournament.

History

In January 2013, the PSA announced, along with U.S. Squash, the creation of a new tournament series called the US Pro Squash Series. This tournament series is used to support marketing activities for tournaments in the United States.[3]

In November 2014, the WSA and the PSA announced a historic merger between the two associations.[4] A decision was reached to designate the PSA operate as the governing body for both the women's and men's ranks from January 1, 2015.

On December 7, 2020, the PSA reached an agreement with Dunlop that extends Dunlop's tenure as the provider of official balls and official racquets for the PSA. The extension is three years.[5]

World Rankings

PSA publishes weekly rankings of professional players: PSA World Rankings (commonly known as the ‘World rankings’).

Current Champions

Video game
PSA World Tour Squash
Developer(s)Alternative Software
Publisher(s)Alternative Software
Platform(s)Wii
Release
  • EU: May 22, 2015
Genre(s)Sport simulation
Mode(s)Single-player

A PSA-licensed video game titled PSA World Tour Squash 2015 has been developed and published by Alternative Software, and is released only in various European countries on May 22, 2015, exclusively for Nintendo's Wii console.[8] The game features the likeness of several professional squash players such as Nick Matthew, Amr Shabana, Grégory Gaultier, Ramy Ashour, and many others, and takes place in many iconic, global squash courts. Players can compete in main World Tour, or set up their own tournaments with using custom player avatars and stats. The game also supports Wii MotionPlus, allowing users an enhanced, real-time squash motion control gameplay experience, (Official website) and is the last ever game for the console to do so.

See also

PSA World Tour Platinum events are a select group of high-profile squash tournaments easily recognised (they offer the largest prize money and attract the majority of the world's best players).

  • World Championship (This is the ultimate tournament on the World Tour and to become World Champion is regarded the highest pinnacle of competitive achievement amongst PSA players. With a 64-person draw, this tournament is the most physically and mentally challenging of the season).

References
  1. "PSA World Rankings – Men's". Professional Squash Association. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  2. "PSA World Rankings – Women's". Professional Squash Association. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  3. "US Pro Squash Series Standings". Professional Squash Association. Archived from the original on 17 March 2014.
  4. "WSA And PSA To Join Forces In Historic Merger". Squash Site. 30 October 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  5. "PSA and Dunlop Announce Partnership Renewal". PSA World Tour. 7 December 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  6. "Current PSA World Rankings". PSA World Tour, Inc.
  7. "Current PSA World Rankings". PSA World Tour, Inc.
  8. Calvert, Darren (29 April 2015). "Just When You Thought the Humble Wii Was Dead, Here Comes PSA World Tour Squash". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
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