AJ Bell has been announced as title sponsor for the 2017 AJ Bell European Individual Closed Squash Championships to be staged at the University of Nottingham from the 24th to 27th August.
The agreement sees AJ Bell continue to increase its presence in the sport and follows an announcement earlier in the year that the Manchester based company will be the title sponsor of the 2017 AJ Bell PSA World Championships in December.
Hosted on behalf of the European Squash Federation in partnership with England Squash and University of Nottingham Sport, this year’s AJ Bell European Individual Closed Squash Championships will mark the first occasion that the event has been staged in the British Isles.
The championships are expected to attract a star-studded player line-up who will descend on the University of Nottingham for Europe’s flagship individual championships. The four-day tournament will be held at the recently opened David Ross Sports Village, a £40 million state of the art facility comprising 6 glass-back squash courts and one of only four all-glass squash courts in England. Other facilities include 24 badminton courts, 200-station fitness suite, martial arts dojo, climbing wall, sports injury clinic and a dedicated high performance zone.
AJ Bell Marketing Director, Billy Mackay said: “We are delighted to be able to support the European Squash Federation, England Squash and the University of Nottingham as they bring a fantastic event to the UK for the first time. It is a great opportunity for squash fans in and around the city to watch top level squash in the comfort of a first class sport facility.”
England Squash Chief Executive Officer Keir Worth said: “We’re thrilled that this year’s European Individual Closed Squash Championships has attracted the support of AJ Bell as title sponsor. We are grateful for their continued support of squash and their investment will help significantly in helping this year’s European Individual Closed Squash Championships, the first to be staged within the UK, to scale new heights and provide an unforgettable event for players and spectators.”
Meanwhile, England Squash have announced the appointment of Paul Walters to the positon of Commercial Manager to drive, develop and implement a new exciting commercial direction for the National Governing Body.
The appointment follows extensive consultation with HAVAS Sports & Entertainment, in conjunction with Sport England, to develop a bespoke solution that provides the strategic support necessary for England Squash to make informed resource and investment decisions designed to open-up new long-term and sustainable revenue streams.
Following the research, England Squash, the governing body for squash in England responsible for the organisation and promotion of the sport and its related formats, have identified the key to future success will be identifying the most beneficial and viable opportunities for England Squash to pursue following a reduction in organisational resource.