This year's tournament marks the comeback of the women's event after an eight-year hiatus.
BeIN Sports has secured the media rights for the upcoming Professional Squash Association (PSA) QTerminals Qatar Classic. The championship is scheduled to be held at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in Doha from September 9 to 16. For the first time since 2015, the annual squash championship will also feature a women’s draw.
BeIN Sports will provide live coverage of 14 matches throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, as well as in the USA and Canada. Additionally, viewers can expect event highlights, news, and insights throughout 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.
In the women’s tournament, World No.1 Nouran Gohar will make her debut at the QTerminals Qatar Classic, headlining the 48-player female draw of what is the second PSA World Tour Platinum event of the 2023-24 season. Gohar has received a bye to the second round, where she will face the winner between Wales’ Emily Whitlock and Latvia’s Ineta Mackevica.
Commenting on the deal, Mohammad Al-Subaie, CEO of beIN – MENA, said: “The QTerminals Qatar Classic is one of the oldest annual international events on the Qatari sports calendar having been first held in 2001. 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 the MENA region, viewers can catch the action on beIN Sports’ free-to-air channel, starting at midday MECCA time on September 13. The live broadcast of the women’s quarterfinals will include Arabic and English commentary. On the following day, the coverage will begin with a 30-minute pre-studio segment, followed by two men’s quarterfinals starting at 14.30 MECCA time. The live broadcast of the first women’s semifinal will start at 15.45 MECCA time, followed by studio analysis. The day’s coverage will conclude with the remaining two men’s quarterfinals and the other women’s semifinal, ending with a post-studio segment at approximately 19:45 MECCA time.
On September 15, the coverage will commence with a pre-studio segment at 15.30 MECCA time, leading to studio coverage until the conclusion of the women’s final. A post-studio segment is expected to continue until approximately 19:30 MECCA time. Finally, on September 16, the men’s final will feature both pre-studio and post-studio segments, with coverage starting at 17:30 MECCA time.
