LAHORE: Young Sohail Adnan, Pakistan’s British Open Under-13 champion, was accorded a warm welcome here at the Punjab Squash Complex on his arrival from Birmingham on Friday.

A large number of fans and Sohail’s parents were present at the complex to greet the youthful winner, who got a medal at British Open U-13 level for Paki­stan after 18 years.

Sohail defeated Egypt’s rival Moez Tamer Elmo­ghazy 11-5, 5-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-5 in a tough final earlier this month.

Speaking on the occasion, Sohail attributed his success to Pakistan.

Terming the final a close contest, the rising star thanked his coaches, squash association and parents for giving him the opportunity to excel at the international stage.

“I want to bring more laurels for Pakistan in the field of squash so that our country can regain its glory in this sport,” Sohail added.

Lauding Sohail for the success in Birmingham, Punjab Squash Associ­ation (PSA) president Noor-ul-Amin Mengal said the PSA was focused on grooming young talent.

Sohail’s parents said that all their four children were playing squash, adding “Soh­­ail’s success has encou­raged us to give more chances to our other kids also”.

Published in Dawn, January 11th, 2025