December 4, 2001	Tuesday	Ramazan 18, 1422

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ISLAMABAD, Dec 3: The Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) is to introduce a bi-annual league system for players involving promotion and relegation by February next year.

Sqd. Ldr Sajid Waheed, Secretary of the PSF speaking to Dawn said that the new system of play would keep the players on their toes in a competitive environment.

According to the plan initiated by PSF president Air Chief Marshal Mushaf Ali Mir the league would initially see a senior team and a junior one comprising eight players each playing against one other.

Explaining the system, Sajid said that the top players would play with those at a lower tier and in the end points would be calculated. “Those achieving a set number of points would gain promotion while those in the top rung not making the grade would be relegated.”

Sajid said that in the league the senior players would also play the promoted juniors like those in the under-19 age group. “This would help the juniors to break away from the age bracket and give them confidence.”

Sajid explained that the league would be played on the pattern of those in Malaysia and Singapore. “These countries even invite foreign players to compete.”

But the secretary said no foreigner would be asked to play in the Pakistan league, the base of which would eventually be extended.

“Soon we may have 16 to 20 players with two senior and two junior sides.”

“The league system would also help us identify the top four senior and as many junior players without going through the process of selection trials.”

Although the venue for the league has not been decided yet, it is likely that Islamabad will host the inaugural event. Karachi and Peshawar could also stage the competitions.

Meanwhile, the PSF has decided that in future the federation would provide air tickets to players competing in the main round of a tournament or other deserving ones from its own coffers if the PIA refuses to do so.

The decision taken by Mushaf comes following the recent refusal of PIA to provide tickets to five of its colts for this month’s Malaysian Open.

The players Shahid Zaman who was to compete in the main round, Shamsul Islam, Ijaz Azmat, Muhammad Ilyas and Amjad Khan were refused tickets on grounds that PIA does not fly to Kuala Lumpur and a passage through another country was not possible because of the holiday season.

According to the latest decision, the PSF would give air tickets to the players who compete in the main round of a competition while it would decide on the eligibility for tickets of other players. “We will decide in what tournament a particular player competes,” Sajid said.