ISLAMABAD, Dec 22: Rehmat Khan, coach of the Pakistan junior team headed for international shores said Saturday that his players had trained “very hard” and he expected them to do well.

The 11 players embark on a journey Sunday that will first take them to Edinburgh for the Dec 27 to 30 Scottish Open and then the New Year’s Junior British Open running in Sheffield from Jan 2 to 7.

The party comprises two under-15 players, three players in the under-17 bracket while all others are in the under-19 age group.

“The tournaments are important because these will help me make a true assessment of players in an international atmosphere,” said Rehmat who trained the legendary Jahangir Khan from 1979 to 1990.

“It will be the maiden appearance of the boys in such big events and if they are able to keep their nerve I am confident that we will come back with good results.”

“Playing practice matches among themselves is one thing and playing in a big tournament is quite another so the tournaments provide us a good opportunity to judge their potential.”

The players have been in camp training in Islamabad for the past three months, a period that has seen Rehmat trying to instil confidence among the boys besides teaching them the finer points of the game.

“The players have been well looked after by the Pakistan Squash Federation and the boys have undergone rigorous training with no break even in Ramazan when we practised at night.”

The team leaving for London includes Yasir Butt, Farhan Mahboob (under-15), Khalid Atlas, Alamzeb and Safeer Khan (under- 17), Majid Khan, Imran Mohib, Khayal Muhammad, Saeed Hassan, Shahnawaz and Nasim Khan (under-19).

Rehmat said that he was aiming to bring Pakistan squash into the limelight again after the glory days of Jahangir and Jansher. “With the kind of efforts the PSF is making by extending all facilities to the players, I am quite hopeful that it wouldn’t be long before we are able to produce another Jahangir.”

But he said that shortage of courts was a handicap. “We need to have more courts in the country in order to regain lost glory.”

He added that more tournaments and league matches were required to be organised, both at the junior and senior levels as part of squash promotion.

“Meanwhile PSF secretary Sqd. Ldr. Sajid Waheed, who will be accompanying the juniors as manager, said that the federation was making serious efforts to promote squash at the junior level. “We will be organising as many as eight events next year for them.”

On the senior side seven international tournaments are planned including next March’s $90,000 Pakistan Open in Lahore, the CAS, CNS and COAS Opens among others.