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Top class squash could become a permanent fixture on the Bermuda sports calendar after the success of last week's World Open.

Bermuda director of squash Ross Triffitt said it was 'likely' that another major tournament would be held here next year with organizers looking to make the island a permanent stop on the world tour.

Around 1,400 fans packed the purpose built venue on Turtle Hill for Saturday's World Open final - an event which winner Amr Shabana declared as 'year zero' for squash - the model for all other promoters in the sport to follow.

Egyptian master Shabana and the rest of the players have made it clear they wish to return to Bermuda.

And the fans who have taken the likes of flamboyant French finalist Gregory Gaultier, hard-hitting Aussie Dave Palmer and tenacious Brit James Willstrop to their hearts over the past week, were certainly baying for more at the closing ceremony on Saturday night.

The three-year contract, which brought successive PSA Masters and the World Open to the island, is officially over, with the Open, which is held in a different location every year, already inked in for Manchester 2008.

But a different tournament - either a PSA sanctioned event like the Masters or an 'invitational' event with greater prize money - looks set to be established in its stead.

Bermuda's squash director Ross Triffitt said the sponsors, the players and the Professional Squash Association had indicated a strong interest in maintaining the relationship.

And he spoke of his belief that a permanent Bermuda tournament could be one of the showpiece events on the squash calendar.

But he warned that nothing was decided as yet and the Bermuda Squash Association would have to take a collective decision on how it wanted to go forward.

"It looks likely that there will be another event next year.

"The sponsors are keen, the players are keen, the volunteers are keen. The main question we're being asked is 'when's the next one?'

He said negotiations would continue over the coming weeks, but the Bermuda Squash Racquets Association would not rush into anything.

"It needs to be done under the right circumstances. It needs to be good for squash in Bermuda, rewarding for the sponsors and for the players, We will be very careful in looking to find a suitable event.

"We may be able to put on a more prestigious event outside of the PSA tour. Bermuda could be one of the highlights of the year for the players."

According to World Champion Shabana, it already is.

"Squash needs more tournaments like this and more promoters like Ross Triffitt," he told us on Saturday night.

Aussie Triffitt said: "You can't get much better than that coming from a person like Shabana who speaks his mind and doesn't hold any punches.

When he says something positive it holds a lot of weight and you know it's sincere. He represented the players in what he was saying and it shows the whole team has done a fantastic job in putting this event together."

The next job for the association is to host the North Caribbean Championships in January.

Meantime the sport is already seeing a boom in interest locally as a result of the World Open.

Triffitt said he expected the courts to be packed over the next few months.

"We are already seeing a really positive impact on that side. We know from the crowds that a lot of people are seeing the sport for the first time.

"There seemed to be a lot of interest from people in taking up the sport or getting back into it and that's great.

"The best thing about squash is the game itself. We just want people to play."

To that end, some of the proceeds from the World Open will be channeled towards financing an expansion of squash's current headquarters at Devonshire or building new courts elsewhere on the island.[[In-content Ad]]

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