Nov 21, 2022
-Amina Orfi from Egypt was the winner in women’s category
– Abhay Singh from India was the winner in men’s category
– The PSA Squash tournament spanning five days saw 48 players from 9 countries battle for the title
Jodhpur, November 21, 2022: HCL, a leading global conglomerate, today announced the successful completion of the second leg of the HCL-SRFI Indian Tour, held at Umaid Bhawan Palace and Bodhi International School from 17th to 21st November. Abhay Singh from India won in the men’s category and Amina Orfi from Egypt won in the women’s category of $12K each. The winners were felicitated by Jodhpur’s Yuvrani Gayatri Rajye. Also present at the event were Mr. Rajat Chandolia, Associate Vice-President and Head of HCL Brand, Mr. Cyrus Poncha, Secretary of Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI) and Mrs Bhuvneshwari Kumari, a 16-time National Champion, recipient of prestigious awards like Padma Shri and Arjuna Award. The tournament witnessed participation from 48 players
from 9 countries including Malaysia, Hong Kong, Germany, Sri Lanka, Egypt and India among others.
Some of the key players who participated were Abhay Singh, Akanksha Salunkhe, Cheng Nga Ching, Zahed Salem, Aira Azman, Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu among many others.
Congratulating the winners, Mr. Rajat Chandolia, AVP and Head, HCL Brand, said, “HCL has been supporting Squash for over six years now. In addition, we introduced the HCL Squash Podium Program in 2019 to identify untapped talent and nurture existing squash players across the country. With this intent, we organized the PSA tour in the historic city of Jodhpur for the first time which was well received by everyone. Just like our previous tournaments, this one also helped in improving the ranking of Indian squash players and gave them a level playing field to compete against their international counterparts. I congratulate all the winners and applaud all those who competed in this PSA Challenger tour.”
Mr. Cyrus Poncha, Secretary-General SRFI said, “I am thrilled that Squash has gained popularity as a competitive sport as our players continue to shine on the global stage. Abhay, Velavan and Akanksha have all played brilliantly in this event and are steadily improving their ranking. Besides HCL and SRFI’s joint efforts, we also see enthusiasm for the sport among the next-generation players. We are committed to the sport’s growth and will continue hosting PSA across different cities, allowing more Indian players to compete globally. I also thank the Sports Authority of India and the Rajasthan Squash Rackets Association for supporting this event. Finally, I would like to congratulate the winners and thank all the participants from across the world who have travelled for this Jodhpur PSA Leg.”
The final match in the men’s category was played between Abhay Singh (World Rank 81) and Zahed Salem (World Rank 71) where Abhay Singh from India won the title with a score of 13-11, 7-11, 11- 9, 11-8 in a match that lasted for 46 minutes.
In the women’s category, the final match was played between Aira Azman (World Rank 79) and Amina Orfi (World Rank 152), where Amina Orfi from Egypt won the title with a score of 11-6, 11-9, 12-10 in a match that lasted for 40 minutes.
About HCL Group
Founded in 1976 as one of India’s original IT garage start-ups, HCL is a pioneer of modern computing with many firsts to its credit, including the introduction of the 8-bit microprocessor-based computer in 1978 well before its global peers. Today, the HCL Group has business presence across sectors including technology and healthcare and comprises three group companies –HCL Technologies, HCL Infosystems and HCL Healthcare. The Group generates annual revenues of over US$12.1 billion with more than 219,000 employees operating across 54 countries.
For further information, visit www.hcl.com
About SRFI
The Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI) was formed to oversee the promotion and development of the sport in India. The SRFI has more than 20 state associations and affiliated units with its headquarters in Chennai. The federation is affiliated to World Squash Federation / Asian Squash Federation & recognized by Government. of India. SRFI has been forging ahead with dynamic plans ensuring promotion, development, and performance of the sport at all levels.
For further information, please contact:
On behalf of HCL:
Pooja Arora- pooja_sikka@hcl.com