Norman hits out at appearance money

Press, 9 January 1987, Page 7

Norman hits out at appearance money

By

PETER O’HARA

of NZPA London The world men’s squash champion, New Zealand’s Ross Norman, has urged players to oppose payments of appearance money for major tournaments, in contrast to his arch rival, Jahangir Khan, in a row over the practice.

“Appearance money is detrimental to professional squash ... I think the I.S.P.A. (the International Squash Players Association) should take a stand against it,” Norman told NZPA yesterday.

The issue is likely to

arise when the I.S.P.A. meets next. The association executive director, Roger Eady, said players would “have to discuss the whole business.”

"As a players association we really are against the principle of paying appearance money for major tournaments,” Eady said. Jahangir, the Pakistani ranked number one in the world in spite of Norman’s title win . at Toulouse two months ago, has been accused of “holding the squash world to ransom,” in the words of Britain’s “Guardian” newspaper.

The 23-year-old Jahangir brought the issue into the open when he demanded an appearance fee reportedly worth $17,000 for the Belgian trophy event in three weeks — one of the opening Grand Prix tournaments of 1987. Antwerp organisers refused to bow to the demand and went public to explain the reason for Jahangir’s absence from the tournament draw. The brilliant Pakistani has been paid for appearing at other tournaments because he is a drawcard for sponsors and media attention. He is not, though, the only player to have received appearance money — Norman is among stars known to have been paid just for showing up. But Jahangir is the focus of the growing complaints in the squash world about the practice, because of his total dominance of the game for five years and an appar-

ent move on the part of his family to increasingly cash in on his market worth.

Norman, who turned 28 on Wednesday, has picked up less appearance money, usually as a persuader to go to a tournament that is otherwise unattractive or inconvenient.

“It comes down to this ... what is a tournament without top players,” he said.