FIJI'S number one squash player Justin Ho is aiming to collect his third successive title of the season when he participates in the Shop N Save Supermarket Open Championship which starts at the Northern Club in Lautoka this afternoon.
Ho who has held the top ranking for the past four years will face stiff opposition in the two-day event which has attracted all the top five players in the country.
Making a return in the tournament will be former Fiji champion Warren Yee. Former Northern Club champion Romit Meghji, rising star Marika Matanatabu and title hopeful Filimone Lesuma will all pose a threat to Ho.
The tournament which will be in five grades has attracted a total of 54 players.
Ho who is suffering from a niggling injury said he was confident of pulling through in the tournament.
The Bank of the South Pacific E-channels business consultant said this would be one of the toughest tournaments staged recently.
Ho said he had been training daily.
"I'm pretty much happy with my form," Ho said.
"I have a niggling knee injury but I'm hopeful of overcoming that. The top players will be competing so the tournament will be closely contested."
Ho won the Northern Club Open Championship in April beating Matanatabu 3-0 in the final and then bagged the Savusavu Open title earlier this month.
Shop N Save Supermarket Open Championship co-ordinator Mafi Tupou said more than 20 players from Suva had registered.
He said attractive prizes were at stake in the event.
"The matches will be played in the A, B, C, D and Under-19 grades," Tupou said.
"There will be a plate category for the players who failed to qualify for the main draw from their respective grades. The finals are scheduled to be held on Saturday afternoon."