World's Best Return to New York's Grand Central Terminal

Many of the world's best athletes will once again be showcased on the four-walled glass squash court specially constructed in Grand Central Terminal in New York from 19-25 February 2005 when the world's top squash players - men and women - will compete for one of the game's most coveted championships, the Tournament of Champions title.

Bear Stearns, a title sponsor for the first time in 2004, is returning as the 2005 title sponsor of this unique US event. With the inclusion of a women's championship draw and tournament prize money totalling $105,000, the 2005 Bear Stearns Tournament of Champions is the largest combined squash event in the world and a true Grand Slam championship.

"Each year, the dazzling ambiance of Grand Central and the sell-out crowds for almost every session of play inspire the top competitors in the world to play their best squash at the Tournament of Champions," says Tournament Director John Nimick. "It is an event which really embodies - in its intensity, energy, competitiveness and diversity - the championship qualities of New York City."

Grand Central's only annual sports championship, the 2005 Tournament of Champions celebrates its eighth anniversary in Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central with the best players in the game competing in one of the world's most challenging sports. The championships take place on the portable, see-through, squash court - and are expected to attract all of the world's top male and female professional players. The Vanderbilt Hall set-up contains a state-of-the-art portable glass squash court, gallery seating for 550, and free viewing for the public.

The 2005 Tournament of Champions is the largest male professional squash tournament in the United States and the leading event of the six-city, $210,000 U.S. Pro Squash Tour. A PSA Super Series event for the men, the Tournament of Champions features a 32-player main draw and a 32-player qualification tournament. The women's championship, a WISPA Silver Event, will have a 16 player main draw and a 16-player qualification tournament.

Rated by Forbes magazine as the #1 healthiest sport based on cardio-respiratory endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, muscular endurance, calories burned and risk of injury, squash was first played in England more than 100 years ago. It is now a popular sport in more than 120 countries. There are 15 million squash players worldwide and 400,000 in the United States. Squash is contested in all the major international multi-sport regional games and is on the short list of sports applying for inclusion in the Olympics.

Major event sponsors include Bloomberg, Dunlop, Guinness and Juan Valdez. Associate sponsors include the Turks & Caicos Sporting Club, Snake River Sporting Club and Greenbrier Sporting Club; Grand Hyatt New York; and the Campbell Apartment.

The Tournament of Champions is operated by Event Engine, Inc., the largest commercial squash promotional company in the world. Event Engine, Inc. also produces the U.S. Open in Boston, Canadian Classic in Toronto and British Open in England.