ISLAMABAD, July 13: The Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) and coach Rehmat Khan on Tuesday reacted angrily to Jansher Khan's allegations that national players were overage and stood no chance of winning next month's World Junior Championship.
"It is very irresponsible of Jansher to give out such statements on the eve of a major championship," secretary of PSF, Wng. Cdr Sajid Waheed said. "All the players who will be competing in the World Junior Championship have undergone medical check-ups and none is over- age."
"The boys underwent wrist, elbow and collar bone tests to determine their real ages and their passports and forms B are further evidence that they are not over-age." Sajid said that such baseless outbursts in the press by Jansher were doing no good to the country.
"The PSF is making all out efforts to promote squash and by the grace of God we will soon regain our lost glory." Rehmat, coach of the team that will be defending the World Junior title in Islamabad, dismissed Jansher's allegation that he had failed to deliver. "I am the most successful coach ever and my record speaks for itself," he told Dawn.
Rehmat recalled that Jansher had made similar allegations days before the last World Junior Championship in Chennai. "But what happened?, we won the title for the first time in 20 years which only went to show that all his claims were hollow."
"My boys are the best, they are world champions and I am confident that we will retain our title." He claimed that Jansher had accused him of not delivering out of "sheer jealousy". "The federation asked me to take up this job and once my contract expires at the end of August, I will hand over the charge to someone else."
But he reminded Jansher that under him Pakistan had not just won the World Junior title but also the junior British Open titles in under-19, under-17, under-15 and under-13 categories. "My players won 70 out of 96 matches they played in Egypt; I have achieved what no one else has."
