Squash was given a further shot in the arm on Wednesday after revered sporting venue Alexandra Palace was revealed as another enticing PSA World Tour destination.
The Ally Pally will host the London Squash Classic 2024, a gold level event, and will replace the Canary Wharf Classic which was forced to end after 20 successful years.
The inaugural event will take place from March 27 – April 1. It is not yet known where in the North London venue it will be hosted, although Alexandra Palace does have a theatre perfectly suited to squash.
It’s not yet known when the Optasia Championships at Wimbledon will also take place. Last year’s dates for the Optasia were March 21-26.
In a release by the PSA, the Canary Wharf Classic said that proposed refurbishments to the East Wintergarden venue meant it was logistically impossible to continue holding the long-running event.
Squash Mad understands that rising costs by Canary Wharf also proved a major factor in halting the Classic.Â
Hosting at Alexandra Palace, celebrating its 150th year in 2023, is certainly another boost for squash’s profile. The PDC World Darts Championships and the Cazoo Masters are two big sporting events to be staged there.
Since its launch in 2004, the Canary Wharf Classic became one of the most highly-anticipated tournaments on the PSA World Tour calendar.
Last year, New Zealand’s Paul Coll took the honours for the final time after defeating Welshman Joel Makin in the final.
However, the new 2024 London Classic event will see a men’s and women’s event played for the first time.Â