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The 2008 Comfort Inn Open Squash Tournament was given $9,600 by Hosting BC. The event attracted more than 175 professional and amateur athletes from 11 countries, including Malaysia, Colombia, Egypt and Hungary as well as from five Canadian provinces. They played in front of 1,600 spectators and 50 volunteers supported the event.
The event allowed Canadian athletes to compete at international levels without significant travel expense. A juniors’ clinic held prior to the tournament allowed local players an opportunity to be coached by Canada’s best. Direct economic and tourism benefits included increased revenue for the local tourism and hospitality industries during an otherwise slow time of year. Volunteers and officials upgraded skills to international levels to form an experienced resource pool for future major events.
