KARACHI: The first edition of the World Under-23 Squash Championships began in Karachi on Sunday, with Pakistan’s Noor Zaman and Mohammad Hamza Khan securing confident victories in their opening matches.
However, Pakistan’s Muhammad Ammad and all three participating women were knocked out in the first round.
The tournament, which runs from April 6 to 10 at Karachi’s Creek Club, features a 32-player men’s draw and a 22-player women’s draw.
Organised by World Squash, the tournament offers a total prize purse of $60,000, with the winners also earning automatic qualification for the prestigious PSA World Championships.
Noor Zaman, the second seed, defeated Kuwait’s Hussain Alzaatari 3-1 in a strong performance, bouncing back after losing the second game to win 11-6, 5-11, 11-4, 11-3.
Zaman told World Squash last month that it was a “huge honour” to represent Pakistan at home, adding: “There’s an incredible sense of pride and responsibility when you step onto the court in front of your own people.”
Former World Junior Champion Hamza Khan also cruised through to the round of 16 with a dominant straight-game win over Romania’s Radu Stefan Pena, recording scores of 11-3, 11-1, 11-5.
Khan, who made headlines last year by becoming Pakistan’s first World Junior Champion since 1986, showed glimpses of that championship form.
However, Pakistan’s Muhammad Ammad was unable to progress, losing a closely contested five-game match to Malaysia’s Ameeshenraj Chandaran.
After a see-saw battle, Chandaran edged the final game to win 10-12, 11-7, 9-11, 11-9, 11-8.
In the women’s event, it was a disappointing day for the Pakistani contingent. Mariam Malik was the first to take to the court, suffering a heavy 11-3, 11-2, 11-4 defeat against Spain’s Noa Romero Blazquez.
Amna Fayyaz fell to Japan’s Kurumi Takahashi 11-9, 10-12, 11-4, 11-9, while Sana Bahadar lost to Czechia’s Tamara Holzbauerová 13-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-8.
Elsewhere, top-seeded Egyptian Ibrahim Elkabbani survived an early scare against Poland’s Leon Krysiak, winning 11-2, 9-11, 12-10, 11-2 to secure his place in the next round.
A total of 22 matches are being played across five courts during the tournament’s opening days. Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) Vice President and Sindh Squash President Adnan Asad told World Squash that hosting the event was part of a larger vision to revive the country’s squash glory.
“My vision is to create a few Jahangir Khans in the next five years,” he said.
Asad added that the PSF plans to host more high-profile international events while simultaneously investing in facilities and grassroots development.
“We have very high hopes,” he said. “By hosting this championship, I expect a large number of Pakistani players to get serious and work hard for the next few years and hopefully get Pakistan back as a world beater.”
The round of 16 matches in both the men’s and women’s draws are scheduled for Monday.
