In light of the report by the BBC, which highlighted that sportsmen often earn more prize money than sportswomen, England Squash & Racketball feel that they have made good progress towards ensuring equitable prize money in their two major events.
ESR have already introduced equal prize money at the National Championships and with the support of title sponsor Dr Assem Allam, they are moving towards ensuring a similar arrangement at the Allam British Open.
“England Squash & Racketball have taken active steps to promote equal prize money and we were pleased to demonstrate this commitment at this year’s National Championships in February,” said new ESR CEOKeir Worth. “We are also working closely with our title sponsor to do the same at the Allam British Open.”
Laura Massaro, England’s women’s world champion, made this point eloquently yesterday, when she appeared on several BBC TV and Radio channels to talk about the subject.
Although the 30-year-old Lancastrian only collected £12,300 for winning the world title in Malaysia in March, compared to the £28,600 picked up by compatriot Nick Matthew (pictured above at the 2014 National Championships with women’s champion Alison Waters) for winning the men’s version in Manchester last year, she stressed that fact presented a misleading picture of squash.
She told Press Association Sport: “I think it’s important to remember that out of the 36 events that are jointly held for the men and the women, 22 are already equal prize money. That’s an increase on previous years and I think it’s going to increase further through 2015 and 2016, so that’s really exciting.
“Hopefully over the next year or so there’s a chance the men’s and women’s organisations will actually merge, and then it will look like we’re trying to work together and present a bit more of a marketable package to sponsors and media.”
Today Alex Gough, chief executive of the men’s PSA Tour, confirmed that they would indeed be merging with the women’s WSA Tour, which will be disbanded.
“As a small sport looking to grow, it was an obvious choice for us to do,” he told BBC Sport.
“For the Olympic bid the men and women’s tours need to be presented side by side, with a much more joined-up approach, and that then leads to equality, prize money and equal opportunities.
“The men’s World Championship is over double any of our other events in terms of sponsorship. What we need to do is make the women’s game more commercial, as is the case in tennis, where the women’s game is equally commercial to the men’s.
“The more the PSA can invest in the PR and communications of the women’s tour, those commercial values will catch up quite quickly. A merger can help us accelerate the work we do.”