$2000 a start

Press, 9 June 1978, Page 5

$2000 a start

The fledgling New Zedland circuit might not offer the lucrative prize money available overseas for squash professionals but the $2OOO put up by Ballins Industries for the present international series is certainty a start. I T,op squash players are still not receiving incomes equal with those of the leading tennis professionals but they are comparatively well provided for. The world champion, Geoff Hunt, is believed to rake in more than $lOO,OOO a year from prize money, exhibitions and endorsements although there is probably quite a big jump down to the next few players. According to New Zealand’s top player, Bruce Brownlee —- obviously doing quite well for himself now as well — it is necessary to get into the top 20 for tournament expenses to be met. “You can break even if you’re in the top 16 but the top eight is where the big money is. There is a lot more monev going than \ I first thought and this i makes it hard to turn I tournaments down,” Brownlee admitted when he

returned home to Rotorua : recently. There is quite a lucrative circuit ahead of Brownlee and his fellow squash players on the “pro tour” , after the Ballins series is over. First the New Zealander is off to Kenya for altitude training with Jonah Barrington from June 14 to July 2 and this should prepare them both admirably for the six-week long South African circuit, aimed at the top eight available players. The Pakistan International Airlines series follows with tournaments in the Netherlands, Sweden and Germany and then there is the lucrative Australian circuit. Seven tournaments are being contested in an over-all world series worth about ■ $200,000. From November 7 to December 3 the P.I.A. series continues with a tournament in Singapore and exhibition in Kuala , Lumpur, Bangkok and Alexandria. The P.I.A. Masters, to be held at Karachi from December 6 to 11, will involve 16 invited players from the top of the J.S.P.A, seedings. :