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| January 11, 2003 | Saturday | Ziqa'ad 7, 1423 |
Pakistani trio aim for bigger prizes
ISLAMABAD, Jan 10: The Pakistani squash trio of Safeerullah Khan, Yasir Butt and Amir Atlas, winners of the Junior British Open titles this week Friday vowed to follow in the footsteps of the illustrious Khans - Jahangir and Jansher.
“We will now work even harder and try our best to become champions like Jahangir and Jansher,” they said on arrival from Britain.
Safeer won the under-19 title in Sheffield while Yasir Butt took the under-17 honours and Amir Atlas claimed the under-13 crown.
“We were all successful because of the untiring efforts of our coaches and the personal interest taken by the Pakistan squash chief,” said Safeer, who beat Holland’s Dylan Bennet in the final.
The team manager, Wing Commander Sajid Waheed told Dawn that the success at the Open and last month’s World Junior Championship in Chennai, were a result of the Pakistan Squash Federation’s policy of concentrating on the juniors. “These titles have been won after sustained efforts of three to four years.”
He pointed out that the credit for what had been achieved went to Air Marshal Mushaf Ali Mir, the PSF president. “He has spent generously on the training and coaching of players and has indeed given squash a new lease of life.”
Sajid who is also the secretary of the PSF said that eight out the 12-member party that went for the Open, were products of the Pakistan Airforce Academy. “It is quite satisfying for us all that gradually our efforts are paying off.”
He also praised coach Rehmat Khan who put in a lot of hard work in training the players as did Mahboob Khan, the coach at the PAF Academy.
Encouraged by the results at the junior level, Sajid said that they would now pick more fresh blood for training and would tell the associations to hunt for new talent.
The Pakistan contingent was received on arrival at the airport by officials of the PSF.
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