Tournament Of Champions Boasts New Sponsor & Increased Prize Fund

JP Morgan, a global financial services company, is the new title sponsor of the Tournament of Champions, the USA's largest professional squash event. The J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions will be played from 23-29 January 2009 in Grand Central Terminal in New York.

"With J.P.Morgan as our title sponsor and a 50% increase in prize money, the Tournament of Champions continues its long tradition as one of the world's premier squash championships," announced John Nimick, Tournament Director and President of Event Engine, Inc. "We're very fortunate to have J.P. Morgan continue the sponsorship Bear Stearns spearheaded for the past five years."

Now in its 12th year as Grand Central's only annual sporting event, the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions will once again showcase the speed, skill and fitness of the world's best squash players in the sport's most exciting venue.

"The four walled glass court in Grand Central Terminal provides a venue like no other on the PSA Tour," says Nimick. "The combination of the perennial sold-out stadium seating and the public viewing available on the front wall by what is expected to be 150,000 Grand Central commuters during tournament week makes the J.P.Morgan Tournament of Champions the largest squash spectator event in the world."

With J.P. Morgan as the title sponsor and the addition of four new silver sponsors - American Express, Lexington Partners, Frank Crystal & Company and MarketAxess - prize money for the 2009 men's championship will increase to $115,000 USD. Individual tickets go on sale October 10 at www.tocsquash.com. Patron packages are available now by contacting the Box Office at +1.718.569.0594 or tickets@tocsquash.com

The championship debuted as the US Professional Championship in 1930 and was renamed the Tournament of Champions in 1993 when it was presented in the third of its four years at the Winter Garden in the World Financial Center. The tournament then moved to Grand Central Terminal in 1995, where its annual presence since has been interrupted only by the Terminal's renovation from 1996-1998. The Tournament of Champions has truly lived up to its name - all but two of the titleholders have either been #1 in the world rankings or the winner of the annual World Open championship, the most prestigious tournament in squash.

A PSA Super Series Gold event for the men, the 2009 J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions features a 32-player main draw and a 32-player qualification tournament. The world's best players from more than 20 countries will compete in the Tournament of Champions and the field will include the USA's best-ever international touring pro Julian Illingworth, current world #37. The Vanderbilt Hall championship presentation will have gallery seating for 500, as well as free viewing for the public.

Shortlisted by the International Olympic Committee for consideration as an Olympic sport beginning in 2016, Squash is contested in all the major international multi-sport regional games and has been rated by Forbes magazine as the #1 healthiest sport based on cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, muscular endurance, calories burned and risk of injury. The sport was first played in England more than 100 years ago and is now popular in more than 120 countries. There are 15 million squash players worldwide and 400,000 in the United States.

The J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions is supported by Dunlop and Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC and its official charities are the urban youth enrichment programs StreetSquash and CitySquash. The J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions is operated by Squash Engine, Inc. an affiliate of long-time management company Event Engine, Inc., the largest commercial squash promotional company in the world. Event Engine, Inc. also produces major squash championships in Toronto and Boston, as well as unique charitable events such as METROSquash with Sue at the Field Museum in Chicago.