F.P. Report
PESHAWAR: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) squash team has bagged a bronze medal by finishing third in the 34th National Games.
In the 34th National Games that concluded in Quetta, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Squash team participated under the captaincy of international squash player from University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Peshawar student Khushhal Riaz Khan.
The HEC squad consisted of Government College University Lahore’s Uzair Rashid, Mutahir Ali, and Jawad Khan, while Zulfiqar Ali coached the team and Shahram Changezi was the team manager.
The squash team of HEC was unbeaten in the first, second and third rounds, in which HEC defeated the strong squash teams of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab respectively, as well as Azad Kashmir by 3-0 each to reach the semi-finals.
In the semi-finals, HEC faced defending champion and 34th National Games winners WAPDA, which featured world-renowned, experienced, and professional players like former Asian champions Danish Atlas, Farhan Mahboob and Nasir Iqbal.
Both Khushal Riaz and Mutahir Ali played well against Nasir Iqbal and Farhan Mehboob respectively but unfortunately, they lost in a close finish.
HEC won the bronze medal by securing the third position on the victory stand.
While talking to the media during distribution the prize ceremony on Monday, distribution ceremony, the HEC captain Khushal Riaz Khan said that despite not getting enough time to prepare for major the major sports event of National Games, the HEC squash team far outperformed the squash teams of all four provinces, Azad Kashmir and many institutions.
Credit for this success goes to the team players, Higher Education Commission, team coach Zulfiqar Ali and manager Shahram. Khushal thanked the administration of UET Peshawar, its Director Sports Muhammad Ali, and his coach Amjad Khan for providing him all support and training to give an excellent performance in this mega championship.
