Ritwik starts favourite, Pakistan sends strong squad

New Delhi, July 13 (UNI) Defending champion Ritwik Bhattacharya, British open Junior winner Saurav Ghosal, Pakistan's Khayal Muhammad Khan and Basit Ashfaq along with other leading players will battle it out for the top honours in the Rs 4,50,000 Northern India Squash Championship commencing here from tomorrow.

A record 450 players will be seen in action in various age groups in the five- day long championship finals of which are slated for July 18.

Pakistan is sending a big contingent of 43 players which includes seven women.

Talking to newspersons here this evening Delhi Squash Association (DSA) president Vijay Goel said that apart from Men's and Women's open, competition will be held in boys u-19, u-17, u-15, u-13, u-11 sections and u-19, u-17, u-15 and u-13 in Girls sections.

He said there will also be matches in Men's over 35 and over 45 categories.

Goel said the winner in men's section will get a cheque of Rs 50,000 and runners up Rs 25,000.

He claimed that this is for the first that such a big contingent is coming from Pakistan for a single sport event.

Ritwik Bhattacharya is ranked 43 in the world while the two Pakistanis Khayal Muhammad Khan and Basit Ashfaq are ranked 48th and 61st respectively. Teenager Sorav Ghosal is ranked 64.

Goel said last year's women champion Joshna Chinapa is not taking part this time as she is playing abroad.

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