PESHAWAR (APP): The qualifying round of the National Junior Under-15 Boys and Girls Squash Championship got under way here at PAF Hashim Khan Squash Complex on Monday.
Secretary Irrigation KP and Senior Vice President KP Squash Association Daud Khan was the chief guest and formally inaugurated the Championship in which more than 100 players are taking part. Besides National Under-15 Boys and Girls, the Championship is also carrying age group categories Under-9 and Under-13.
President KP Squash Association and former British Open Qamar Zaman, Head coach PAF Squash Academy Atlas Khan, Executive Members Wazir Gul, Sher Bahadar, Nazim Nawa Khali Sajjad Khan, Chief Referee Munawar Zaman, coaches Nazir Gul, Gulap Sher, Maqsood Hanif and large number of players and spectators were also present.
Qamar Zaman, who is also Vice President of the Pakistan Squash Federation disclosed that the Championship is carrying one National Under-15 categories and two Provincial level event including Girls Under-15 and Boys Under-9 categories.
He said that Senior Vice President KP Squash Association and Secretary Irrigation Daud Khan will grace the occasion as chief guest and will formally inaugurate the Championship.
The Championship, he said, is carrying a prize money of Rs. 0.1 million. He said the Association have fully focused on the junior age groups categories so that to provide ample opportunities to the upcoming and new entering players.
Qamar Zaman said that Pakistan Squash Federation President Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar is very keen to have tournaments at grass roots level and that is why he extended all out support to the associations working in different provinces including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He also appreciated the efforts being made by DG Sports KP Junaid Khan for the promotion of squash in KP in particular and in Pakistan in general. He said Junaid Khan has given financial support to all the squash players at national and international levels and those part of the Under-23 Games have been given cash incentives at national and international levels.
He said currently work is in progress over the construction of Qamar Zaman Squash Complex wherein it has six modern day squash courts, hostel for the players and officials and offices and soon it would be completed.
He said the Directorate of Sports KP is giving Rs. 0.7 million to the KP Squash Association as annual grant and thus to Chairman KP Squash Association Tajamal Hayat, Director Institute of Computer and Management Science (ICMS) and Daud Khan for helping the association with their financial grant from the sponsorship.
He said a request has also been made to the Chief Minister KP for financial assistant to have international tournaments in Peshawar and the PSF is very much keen to have international squash events in Peshawar which produced seven world champions.
Earlier, in the matches Abdullah Khyber of Abbottabad recorded victory against Abu Zar in three sets battle, the score 11-6, 9-11 and 11-3, Muhammad Azhar Butt of Punjab beat Haider Butt, also from Punjab and in the Girls event Mahaira beat Mehvish by 2-1, the score was 11-3, 11-6 and 11-6.
