First Aqil Shah Age Group Junior Squash Championship begins

PESHAWAR: The First Syed Aqil Shah Age Group Under-8-12 Junior Squash Championship got under way here at PAF Hashim Khan Squash Complex on Thursday.

Chairperson of the Provincial Assembly Standing Committee on Sports Shagufta Malik was the chief guest on this occasion. Former World Champion Qamar Zaman, PAF coaches, players and spectators were also present.

Speaking on this occasion, Shagufta Malik lauded the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Squash Association for organizing talent hunt schemes in which 90 players who have been spotted out after the one and half month camp competing. She said going down to search out new talent would help establishing nursery at grassroots level.

He said actually the talent lies in that age group from where the association got the start like Under-8 to Under-12.She said Pakistan ruled the world in squash as result of the hard work by the players in the past but now the players are reluctant to do hard work which is the only tool of achieving the lost glory in the world of squash.

Qamar Zaman on this occasion disclosed that it is the first occasion that such initiative was taken to go down to Under-8, Under-9, Under-10, Under-11 and Under-12 in order to find out new faces at grassroots level.He said to pay tribute and recognize the services of the Provincial Minister Syed Aqil Shah the association decided to name after the event as First Syed Aqil Shah Age Group Squash Cup by involving all the teenagers in the event who had a one and half month summer training camp under qualified coaches.

He said recently Syed Aqil Shah urged upon the associations affiliated with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Olympic Association to hold camp for the budding youngsters in order to develop game nurseries at grassroots level and the squash association was the second behind hockey to hold its summer camp in which 112 players turned up in different age group like from Under-8 to Under-12."We are strictly followed on that and very much clear about specifically over the age of boys that turned up during the month long training camp held under the aegis of qualified coaches of Pakistan Air Force," Qamar Zaman added.

He said in the first phase the kids were provided basic training of squash and in the second phase they are competing in the tournament in their respective age group categories. He said all the 112 players have been divided in five age groups.He thanked Syed Aqil Shah for providing uniform, shoes, rackets, balls and expenses of the coaches that were hired for this purpose. He said the final of all the five categories will be held on July 25 at 6.00 p.m.

Earlier, in the opening match of the Under-12 category Nasir beat Mansoor Zaman by 10-12, 11-5 and 11-5. In the Under-8 cataegory Human Ijaz beat Sajid Khan by 3-0, the score was 11-3, 11-9 and 11-7, in the Under-10 category Haris Ahmad beat Shahbaz Khan by 11-7, 11-8 and 11-8, in the Under-11 category Zaman Khan beat Irfan by 11-2, 11-6 and 11-5, in the Under-12 Tahir beat Sajid Ali by 3-0, the score was 11-6, 11-7 and 11-9.