KARACHI, July 11: Pakistan’s number one squash player Shahid Zaman has withdrawn from this month’s World Games to be held In Duisburg (Germany) after failing to obtain a German visa. A Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) spokesman said on Monday that Shahid could not get German visa because of his training commitments and had to pull out of the World Games to be held from July 16 to 19.

Shahid was seeded eighth in the men’s squash competition of the World Games and was drawn against Holland’s national champion Tommy Berden in the opening round of the competition.

World number ones Thierry Lincou and Rachael Grinham are the top seeds in the squash events in this month’s World Games, the multi-sport event which is being hosted by Germany under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The 2005 World Games will feature 3,500 athletes from 100 nations, competing at 27 venues in 40 sports ranging from sumo to squash. The squash action will be staged in Mulheim an der Ruhr, near Duisburg.

Players from 20 countries across the five continents will compete for the squash titles won in Finland in 1997 by Australia’s Sarah Fitz-Gerald and Egyptian Ahmed Barada.

Shahid was supposed to be Pakistan’s sole representative in the Games this year. He applied for a German visa last month but was told by the Embassy officials that the process would take several weeks, the PSF spokesman said.

Shahid had to leave for England to train for the Pakistan Open so the Quetta-born player decided against persisting with his visa application.

Shahid, currently ranked No. 14 in the world, would be Pakistan’s top contender for the title in the US$85,000 Pakistan to be held in Karachi from July 24 to 29.—PPI