Pakistan-Egypt series: Our squash isn’t dead, says Mehboob

Country’s top-ranked players rues lack of management, money in the sport

KARACHI: Pakistan’s top squash player Farhan Mehboob believes that the game is not dead in the country yet after he claimed a 3-1 victory against world number two Karim Abdel Gawad on Sunday night.

Pakistan once led the squash world with the likes of Jehangir Khan and Jansher Khan; however, there has been a lull in the sport since they retired, and in the recent years Egypt has surfaced as the dominant force.

Though, when Pakistan faced Egypt on July 15, the results showed a different picture. Although Pakistan lost 3-2 in Islamabad, the highlight of the event was surely Mehboob's win over the world series’ top-ranked player Gawad, which sent out a strong message in the international squash circuit.

"I went in with a belief that I can defeat Gawad and the aggression in my game was the key ingredient for such a massive victory," Mehboob told The Express Tribune. "I don't think anyone believed that I could do it. Nevertheless, when I was leaving my home for the match, there was only this one desire and prayer on my mind that I have to stun Gawad here.”

He added that he wanted to prove a point by beating his opponent. “The legends of Pakistan squash were also watching the match and I wanted to show them and our people that we have the talent. I wanted to show that the players are not responsible for the downfall of the squash in Pakistan,” he said, further criticising the management of the game in the country by saying that improvements needs to be made since talented players say goodbye to the game because of lack of money.

Mehboob, ranked 50th in the world, said that it was a tough match that lasted almost an hour. "I gave my all in the first game and in my mind I was telling myself that this first game will keep me in for the win," said Mehboob.

But despite the win, Mehboob is not happy and feels that there is a general apathy in the people when it comes to squash.

"In Pakistan everything begins and ends on cricket," said Mehboob. "Squash is an individual sport and it requires more effort from the player than anyone playing in a cricket team. We run more than a cricketer would in half an hour. But sadly the sponsors and even our government seems to be blind to our achievements. This reality of our sports culture does disturb me."