Victory revives Pakistan’s glory in world junior squash championship

LAHORE: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif conveyed his heartfelt congratulations to Hamza Khan after he won the World Junior Squash Championship, Pakistan’s first in the tournament since 1986.

On Sunday, Khan secured the tournament by defeating Mohamed Zakaria of Egypt with a score of 3-1 during the final match held in the coastal city of Melbourne in Australia.

“Pakistani squash is back!” posted the Twitter account of the World Squash Federation (WSF), the global governing body for the sport, sharing a video of Khan’s winning moment.

🎙 “Pakistani Squash is back!”

Here’s the moment 🇵🇰 Hamza Khan ended Pakistan’s 37-year wait for a WSF World Junior Squash Champion title 🏆#WSFjuniors @paksquash @squashAUS pic.twitter.com/h7K50hAVjH

— World Squash (@WorldSquash) July 23, 2023

Khan had trained under the supervision of Pakistan Army’s Coach Asif Khan for two months before heading to Australia to partake in the championship.

According to the Express Tribune, Khan trained under the supervision of Asif Khan, who is associated with the military, for two months before heading to Australia to partake in the championship.

In a statement by the PM Office, Sharif expressed his gratitude to the new champion for bringing the title back to Pakistan after a gap of 37 years. He noted that Khan’s victory evoked memories of Jansher Khan’s triumph in the 1986 World Squash Championship.

Sharif extended his felicitations not only to Khan but also to his parents, coach, teammates, and the entire nation for this historic achievement.

He emphasised that the entire nation takes pride in Khan’s outstanding performance, which has raised the national flag high in the sport of squash.

Looking ahead, the prime minister expressed hope that Khan would continue to excel in the game and lead Pakistan to further success, making the country an invincible force in squash.

The prime minister also acknowledged the collective efforts of national players who have brought laurels to Pakistan in various sports, including mountaineering, boxing, and squash, over the last fifteen months.