Major squash tournament returns to city for first time since 2001
The British Open - one of the most prestigious and historic tournaments in professional squash - will be held in Birmingham for the first time in over two decades when the world 's best players line up at Birmingham Rep and Edgbaston Priory Club between April 9 to16, 2023.
The PSA World Tour Platinum tournament - which has been held in Hull since 2013 - will return to Birmingham for the first time since 2001 when the Utilita Arena Birmingham hosted 'The Wimbledon of Squash '.
The opening two days of the event will take place at Edgbaston Priory Club, before play moves over to the spectacular setting of The Rep in the heart of Birmingham city centre, where the action will take place on an all-glass show court from round three onwards.
England No.1s Mohamed ElShorbagy and Sarah-Jane Perry will compete for the titles alongside defending champions Paul Coll, of New Zealand, and Hania El Hammamy, of Egypt.
A record prize fund of $370,000 will be on offer and will be split equally between the male and female athletes.
PSA chief executive Alex Gough said “We 're excited to move the British Open to Birmingham, a city which has a rich history within the sport. We started this conversation earlier this year with the West Midlands Growth Company, which aims to attract major events to Birmingham and the wider region, so we are delighted to be announcing this today ”
"As we look forward to an exciting new era for the British Open, I'd like to take an opportunity to highlight the role that Dr Assem Allam played in staging the event from 2012 until the present day. Dr Allam sadly passed away recently and everyone at the PSA would like to express their gratitude for his unwavering support over the past decade."
Birmingham Rep executive director, Rachael Thomas added “We 're thrilled to be part of bringing the British Open to the city and hosting matches on our main stage in a spectacular all-glass showcourt setting. We look forward to welcoming thousands of spectators to The Rep over the ten day period and sharing our iconic theatre with them. ”
England Squash chief executive Mark Williams said: “Following the success of the Commonwealth Games in August, we 're delighted that the prestigious British Open will be coming back to the city of Birmingham.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to further raise the profile of squash and build on the work we have been doing to help people from communities across the city play squash since the Commonwealth Games. ”
For further information on the British Open, visit the official tournament website or follow the event on Twitter.
Tickets for the 2023 British Open will go on sale on December 21. Squash fans can register their interest here.
Action from the event will be broadcast live on SQUASHTV and on the channels of PSA's broadcast partners.