(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: beIN Sports, one of the world's leading sports broadcasters, has secured the media rights to the Professional Squash Association (PSA) QTerminals Qatar Classic set to take place at the Khalifa International tennis & Squash Complex in Doha from September 9-16. For the first time since 2015, the annual squash championship will also feature a women's draw.
beIN Sports will broadcast 14 matches live across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA),the and Canada, as well as event highlights, news and views from around the week-long tournament. This year's men's draw will be headed up by World No.1 Ali Farag, a four-time World Champion and two-time winner in Doha. The Egyptian triumphed in the Qatari capital in 2018 and 2020 but was surprisingly eliminated last year in the third round. He will face compatriots Mohamed Abouelghar, Fares Dessouky, and 2019 World Champion Tarek Momen in his first three matches.
In the women's tournament, World No.2 Nouran Gohar will make her debut at the QTerminals Qatar Classic, headlining the 48-player female draw of what is the second World Tour Platinum event of the 2023-24 season.
Gohar, a 25-year-old Egyptian, has received a bye tothe second round, where she will face either Wales' Emily Whitlock or Latvia's Ineta Mackevica.
“The QTerminals Qatar Classic is one of the oldest annual international events on the Qatari sports calendar having been first held in 2001,” said Mohammad Al Subaie, CEO of beIN – MENA.
“We are delighted to be able to showcase this fantastic, fast-paced event once again on beIN SPORTS, especially with the return of the women's draw following an eight-year absence. Since 2019, our beInspired campaign has been giving a global platform to events and talent that haven't, historically, been given the exposure they deserve, so to be able to promote squash – and women's squash – to our audiences is one more important addition to our portfolio.”
In MENA, coverage will be available on beIN Sports' free to air channel starting at midday MECCA on 13 September, with the women's quarterfinals broadcast live with Arabic and English commentary. The following day's coverage starts with a 30-minute pre-studio before two of the men's quarterfinals get underway at 14.30 MECCA.
Coverage of the first women's semifinal starts at 15.45 MECCA followed by studio analysis. The afternoon's coverage of the two remaining men's quarterfinals and the other women's semi-final concludes with a post-studio segment at approximately 19:45 MECCA.
On September 15, coverage of the men's semifinals will start with a pre-studio at 15.30 MECCA, followed by studio coverage until the end of the women's final, with a post-studio segment expected to continue until approximately 19.30 MECCA.
Finally, on September 16, the men's final will have a pre-studio and post-studio, with coverage starting at 17.30 MECCA.