KARACHI: Pakistan’s promising squash players, Noor Zaman and Asim Khan, faced tough challenges in the second round of the PSA World Squash Championship in Chicago, failing to progress further after battling against higher-ranked opponents.
Noor Zaman, the World U23 Squash Champion, fought valiantly but was ultimately defeated by Egypt’s world number 6, Karim Abdel Gawad, after a tough encounter. Despite showing great resilience, Zaman could not overcome Gawad’s superior experience, marking an end to his campaign in the prestigious tournament. Karim Abdel Gawad won 3-0, with set scores of 11-5, 11-7, 11-9.
Asim Khan, who had previously upset France’s Auguste Dussourd, also met his match in the second round, where he was knocked out by Malaysia’s Eain Yow Ng, ranked 10th in the world. Khan’s efforts to maintain the momentum from his earlier victories were not enough to secure another win. The match concluded with Eain Yow Ng winning 3-0, with set scores of 11-0, 11-4, 11-2. This means Asim Khan lost all three games.
Both players’ exits, though disappointing, demonstrate the competitive nature of the tournament and signal promising future potential for Pakistani squash. While they will not progress further, their performance has ignited hope for Pakistan’s return to the forefront of international squash.
India’s campaign at the PSA World Squash Championship also came to a close as three players, including Anahat Singh, Veer Chotrani, and Ramit Tandon, were eliminated in the second round after battling against some of the sport’s top talents.
Anahat Singh, India’s top female player, was defeated 3-1 by Egypt’s Fayrouz Aboelkheir, world number 13. Singh, who had an impressive debut with an upset win over world number 28 Marina Stefanoni, struggled to maintain momentum against Aboelkheir, losing 11-7, 8-11, 11-4, 11-3.
Veer Chotrani, ranked 57th, also faced a formidable opponent in Egypt’s world number 1, Ali Farag, who praised Chotrani’s performance. After Chotrani secured a game and held game points in the fourth, Farag clinched the win with a score of 7-11, 11-7, 11-3, 12-10 in 32 minutes.
Ramit Tandon, ranked 30th, was also eliminated after a gripping 3-2 loss to England’s Marwan Elshorbagy, ranked 8th. Despite winning the first two games, Tandon could not maintain the pressure, and Elshorbagy secured the victory with a score of 11-9, 11-7, 5-11, 8-11, 11-8.
The tournament marks a major milestone for squash, especially with the sport’s potential inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
