Beng Hee In Year's Final Title Bid

While most of the world's top athletes now have their sights set on 2005 glory, squash players from ten countries will be in Kuala Lumpur this weekend for the final PSA Tour event of 2004, the Country View Malaysian Open at the National Squash Centre, Bukit Jalil, from 28-31 December.

Qualifying for the $20,000 event - the first Malaysian Open for three years - begins on Boxing Day, with 16 players fighting for four places in the main draw.

Domestic hopes are high with Malaysia's three-times Asian Champion Ong Beng Hee seeded to win the prestigious title for the second time. The Penang-born 24-year-old became the first domestic winner of the trophy in December 2000.

Beng Hee faces Frenchman Stephane Galifi in the first round, and is expected to meet Malaysian rival Mohd Azlan Iskandar, the No2 seed, in the final on New Year's Eve. The pair played alongside each other in last week's World Doubles Championships in India, but the last time they faced each other on a singles court, Iskandar registered his first win over his higher-ranked compatriot to clinch the CAS International title in Pakistan in October.

1st round draw:
[1] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) v Stephane Galifi (FRA)
[8] Majid Khan (PAK) v Qualifier
[3] Wael El Hindi (EGY) v Qualifier
[6] Joey Barrington (ENG) v Qualifier
[7] Mohamed Essam A Hafiz (EGY) v Arshad Iqbal Burki (PAK)
[4] Shahid Zaman (PAK) v Shahril Shahidan (MAS)
[5] Tommy Berden (NED) v Cameron White (AUS)
[2] Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) v Qualifier