Estonia & Norway To Host Eighth WISPA Promotional Tour

The Women's International Squash Players' Association has confirmed details of its eighth annual WISPA Promotional Tour, which will visit Estonia and Norway from 9-18 June.

Leading the latest initiative in WISPA's continuing drive to promote women's squash around the world will be Malaysia's reigning world champion Nicol David and former WISPA President Sarah Fitz-Gerald, the record five-times world champion from Australia.

The Tour itinerary will feature exhibitions, clinics, press conferences and meetings with sports bodies in Oslo and the Estonian capital city Tallinn, organised in close co-operation with the two countries' National Squash Federations.

WISPA can rightly claim to be 'going to the ends of the earth to promote squash' this year! Combined with Tallinn and Oslo will be a visit to the most northern squash court in the world, in Longyearbyen. Situated on the Norwegian island of Svalbard, Longyearbyen is only 600 miles away from the north pole, and the most northerly point in the world served by a scheduled air service.

As in previous years, press conferences and television coverage will bring squash to the notice of the public - while local squash enthusiasts will be able to watch, and in some cases compete against, the two WISPA stars.

The first squash club in Estonia was opened in 1993. The Estonian Squash Federation was formed in 1997 and several new clubs were opened the same year. The ESF has run National Championships for men, women and juniors since 1994.

There are currently 13 squash clubs (or sports clubs with squash courts) in the country, with approximately 30 courts. The party will visit the eight-court Metro Squashclub (www.metrosquash.ee) - the biggest squash club in Estonia, and also one of the biggest in the Baltic States.

"The WISPA Promotional Tour will be a great opportunity to draw attention to the sport of squash in Estonia," said Zoran Grojic, Secretary of the Estonian Squash Federation. "It will serve as an excellent incentive by giving opportunities for our players to interact closely with top players of the world and will give local top players competitive matches."

Reidun Ribesen, General Secretary of the Norwegian Squash Forbund, added: "The Norwegian Squash Association really looks forward to welcoming WISPA to Norway as having the two top players will greatly enthuse our players."

WISPA Executive Director Andrew Shelley explained: "We have been promoting interest in international squash with these annual Promotional Tours for eight years now. This year the three stops in Tallinn, Oslo and Longyearbyen will provide another opportunity for local players and media to meet two top WISPA stars.

"Past WISPA Tours have led to enduring relationships, so we look forward to making new friends and to providing a media boost for the game in Estonia and Norway courtesy of Sarah and Nicol who are giving so generously of their time."

WISPA's promotional tour concept was launched in 1999 with a visit to the Czech Republic. Successive years featured trips to Jamaica, El Salvador, Peru, Kenya, Thailand, Brunei, Sarawak, Russia, China and Nepal, and, last year, to Jordan and Turkey.