PESHAWAR, Jan 21 (APP): One each PSA Ranking Tournament for Men and Women among 24 others squash tournaments would be organized this year in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, former World Champion Qamar Zaman said while addressing a press conference here Saturday.
He said it is a big achievement of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Squash Association, headed by President Dawood Khan, for receiving the President Pride of Performance Trophy for holding most tournaments in the province.
Announcing a complete schedule of the Annual competitions for the year 2023, Former World Champion and Squash Legend Qamar Zaman said that Pakistan Squash Federation had given formal approval to all our events in their annual calendar for Year 2023.
Accompanied by Associate Secretary and Treasurer of the Association Sajjad Khan, Wazir Gul and President Pakistan Sports Writers Federation Amjad Aziz Malik, Qamar Zaman, who is also Chairman KP Squash Association, said that like every year, this year too, they will try to hold as many tournaments as possible.
A total of 24 tournaments will be held, including 12 national and 12 provincial level competitions with two international circuits under PSA. According to the schedule, the All Pakistan Junior Boys Squash Championship will be held in Peshawar from January 23-26. The prize money will be Rs. 100,000. All Pakistan Senior Men’s Squash Championship will be held in Peshawar from Feb 13-17, the prize money of which is Rs. 100,000. A 10-day training camp will also be organized from May 20-30, 2023.
There will be an All Pakistan Junior Squash Championship with a prize money of Rs. 200,000. All Pakistan Junior Boys Squash Championship will be held from August 8-13, 2023 with a prize money of Rs. 300,000 along with 15-day training camp.
The All Pakistan Women’s Senior Squash Championship will be held from Oct 10-14, with a prize money of Rs.100,000. There will be a 20-day training camp for KP boys while from Dec 12-17 there will be an All Pakistan Junior Squash Championship with a prize money of Rs. 300,000 and a 15-day training camp.
The prize money was Rs 60, 000 and a ten-day event will be organized for it alongside KP Junior Squash Championship from Feb 5-8, KP Junior Girls Squash Championship from March 21-27, and a month-long camp in April and May.
Competitions between training camp and age group players will be held from June 14-17 alongside Inter-Schools Boys and Girls Squash Championship from June 28-30. KP Junior Boys Squash Championship from July 14-16, KP Junior Boys Girls’ Squash Championship from August 11-14, KP Men’s Senior Squash Championship from August 22-27.
The KP Senior Squash Championship will be held in Peshawar from Oct 24-29, the Inter-District Boys U21 Squash Tournament will be held in Abbottabad from Nov 18-22, while the KP Women’s Senior Squash Championship will be held from Dec 5-10.
Qamar Zaman said that there is more focus on juniors and we are also giving opportunities to girls players as well. The PAF Squash Academy selected the players by visiting the schools, so Inter-School competitions could be organized to find out new faces from schools as well, he added.
He lauded Ex-Chief Minister KP Mahmood Khan and Ex-Sports Minister KP Muhammad Atif Khan for the construction of squash courts inside educational institutions both for girls and boys students because players are getting opportunities at the grassroots level. Now there are facilities of squash courts in each district and hopefully players from other districts would also come up at national and international level.
He said from Dera Ismail Khan to Chitral, the players of various districts have attained facilities of squash courts. Squash courts have already been completed in some districts and work on others have continued, he said and added that hopefully, the government under the aegis of Directorate General Sports KP, would give due attention to the construction of squash courts.
