Pakistan squash in shambles

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s dismal performance in the World Team Squash Championship, where the country finished 13th, has cast a spotlight on the declining state of squash in the country. Once the dominant force in the sport, Pakistan now struggles to keep pace with other Asian countries like India, Hong Kong, and Malaysia, which have shown remarkable progress in recent years.

Despite fielding its best available talent -- Mohammad Asem Khan, Nasir Iqbal, and Noor Zaman -- Pakistan suffered humiliating defeats against relatively unknown teams like Germany.

The poor results exposed flawed policies of the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF), inadequate coaching, and failure to elevate the sport’s standards at both junior and senior levels. Pakistan’s rich squash history, marked by world champions and unmatched dominance, now stands overshadowed by consistent failures. The nation also faltered at the World Junior Squash Championship, where not even the former junior world champion Hamza Khan could reach the semi-finals. Expectations from the senior team to finish among the top eight, or at least the semifinals, were dashed as they ended far outside the top 10 in a 26-team competition.

In stark contrast, India finished fifth, showing their best-ever performance even without key player Saurav Ghoshal, while Hong Kong and Malaysia secured sixth and ninth places, respectively.

This underwhelming performance highlights the PSF’s misplaced priorities and lack of vision. While other nations focus on players’ development and competitive excellence, the PSF officials seem more interested in photo ops at local events rather in fostering a competitive environment.

It’s been nearly two years when a Pakistani player cracked the top 50 PSA rankings. Wildcard entries aside, no one has managed to qualify for the main draws of prestigious events like the World Open or British Open, underscoring the federation’s hollow claims of progress.

Perhaps the most alarming sign of the federation’s inefficiency is its treatment of players like Tayyab Aslam, who was once ranked in the top 60. After undergoing knee surgery earlier this year -- a procedure that cost him $25,000 -- Tayyab revealed he didn’t receive any financial assistance or even a single call from PSF officials.

“I was utterly shocked and disappointed when I did not receive a single call, let alone any financial contribution from the federation. This is how we treat our best players,” Tayyab lamented in a recent interaction with journalists.

The PSF’s inability to adapt and evolve has left Pakistan’s squash in shambles. Instead of focusing on grooming world-class players or restoring the nation’s former glory, the federation appears preoccupied with superficial matters like office upgrades.

This alarming trend calls for immediate action. Without a complete overhaul of policies, coaching infrastructure, and management, Pakistan risks losing its once-illustrious legacy in squash altogether.

Final standings (World Team Squash): 1: Egypt 2: England 3: France and Switzerland 5: India 6: Hong Kong 7: Germany 8: Colombia 9: Malaysia 10: Scotland 11: Canada 12: Spain 13: Pakistan 14: USA 15: Czech Republic 16: South Africa 17: Peru, 18: Japan 19: Nigeria 20: Ireland.