Following years of gloom, there may finally be light at the end of the tunnel. For in the last four years, Pakistan has risen from the ashes and emerged as one of the most formidable forces in world junior squash.
In this year’s concluded world Junior Squash championships, the Pakistani team gave a memorable performance when it retained the team trophy, while Yasir Butt added to the festivities when he reached the final of the individual event.
The championship was held in Islamabad and included the best under-19 players from 22-nations. The hosts, however, demonstrated their overall domination in the team championship by eliminating a number of their opponents by a convincing margin of 3-0 and eventually picking the trophy for the second successive title with a 2-1 victory over Egypt in the first-ever World Junior Squash Championship held in Pakistan.
Never before in the 24-year history of World Junior squash had Pakistan, successfully retained the trophy that it had first won way back in the inaugural championship in Kuala Lumpur in 1982. This despite the fact that over the years, Pakistan had the services of a champion like Jansher Khan.
Back in 1982 Pakistan had a budding star like Sohail Qaiser who stole the show by winning the inaugural junior championship. However, it was Jansher Khan, who later established a new record of winning the World Open eight times, won back the individual crow in 1986 in Australia. But that was the end of the tale and it took two decades for Pakistan to reestablish its authority on the world junior level.
The Pakistan Squash Federation, currently being headed by Air Chief Marshal Kaleem Saadat, has been for the past 20 years acquiring the services of a number of our former international stars, each coming with the promise of winning back the Championship. All were left wanting. It was the former PSF president, Air Chief Marshal Mushaf Ali Mir who hired the legendary Rehmat Khan to train the future of Pakistan. Remember, it was Rehmat who moulded cousin, Jahangir Khan into the greatest squash player the world has ever seen. Rehmat was given selection power through trials. On his part, he selected youngsters who responded well to hard and strenuous training. Rehmat, himself once a top 15 player took the boys to play in the Scottish and British Open as well as in other international and national junior championships. The aim of course was to help the boys get as much experience as possible. And his efforts are now bearing fruit.
In the last two years, Pakistan has captured the World Championship title in succession. Last year in India, it brought home the trophy by defeating the defending champions England. In the individual round, beaten semifinalist Majid Khan earned Pakistan a bronze while James Willstrot of England won the individual crown. But this year, England’s fortunes went south and the 2002 champions finished third at Islamabad after beating Kuwait by 3-0 in the team play-off.
Kuwait on the other hand, gave an outstanding performance by securing fourth place.
The four-member Pakistan team included Khalid Atlas (Captain), Farhan Mahboob, Yasir Butt and Basit Ashfaf. It was Lahore-born Yasir who reached the final of the individual event when he outplayed top seed Khalid Atlas in straight games in the semifinal. In the same championship, another promising Pakistani star shone brightly. Amir Atlas created an upset when he won 3-0 over Basit Ashfaq in the quarterfinal but lost to Egyptian Ramy Ashore in straight games in the semi-final. Younger brother of Khalid Atlas, Amir could not find a place in the four-member team selected after the national trials in Islamabad.
Aged 15, Amir Atlas has a lot of potential and if he continues to work hard. With this kind of commitment, he can make his mark at the senior level as well. Farhan Mahbob too put on a good show when he fought against the second seeded Ramy Ashour who dropped a game before winning the quarterfinals by 3-1.
The title battle, telecast live by PTV showed that seventh seed Yasir Butt make a number of unforced mistakes against Ramey Ashour who, despite an error or two, in the second game showed remarkable resolve. He staged a forceful comeback with drop shots, cross court and angles to exert considerable pressure over Yasir. And though Yasir stood his ground, producing several fine forehand and back drops, but his length fell short to the great advantage of the Egyptian who finally crowned himself with glory 9-5,10-8,9-3 in the 47-minute final.
Ashore merited victory and he has become the fourth Egyptian after Ahmed Barada (1994), Ahmed Faizy (1996) and Kareem Darwish (2000) to be the world junior champion. This showed the depth of talent at the junior level in Egypt and a good number of their players are among the top 15. Nevertheless, a Pakistani entering the final after 18 years is part of the game’s resurrection in the country.
Pakistan’s over-all performance has been satisfactory. The PSF should build on these performances and launch its coaching programme for raising a strong team for the coming championships. What needs to be done now is that youngsters, who will not be eligible for being over age for the 2006 championship, should be groomed for the senior team which demands a higher level of professional commitment.
It is time two of the best boys of the victorious team be picked for strenuous training under the guidance of coach Rehmat Khan and be groomed into players of international repute. They can easily be trained separately by Rehmat at the coaching venue of the juniors. This is one step that really needs to be taken otherwise the entire exercise of PSF at the junior level might go to waste. The nation wants players of world repute in the mould of incomparable Jahangir Khan and great Jansher Khan.
