Future is in good hands: Asim, Mawra, others laud Hamza Khan, Pakistan Shaheens for winning big

The nation rejoiced on Sunday as squash player Muhammad Hamza Khan pulled off one of the greatest victories for Pakistan by defeating Egypt’s 15-year-old Mohamed Zakaria 3-1 to lift the World Junior Squash Championship trophy. The young sensation from Peshawar became the first Pakistani squash player in 37 years to lift the World Squash Trophy. The last Pakistani player to claim the title was Jansher Khan.

On the same day, Pakistan Shaheens beat India A by 128 runs in the final of the ACC Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Chasing 353, India A openers got off to a decent start, stitching a 64-run partnership for the first wicket, but once the opening stand was broken, India A were bundled out for 224 in 40 overs. Shaheen's victory marked the team's second successive Asia Cup title after it defeated Bangladesh in the 2019 edition final.

Taking to Twitter to celebrate the occasion, several lauded Hamza and Shaheens for making Pakistanis around the world, proud. "Pakistan Shaheens become the emerging Asia Cup 2023 champions! Hamza Khan becomes the World Junior Squash Champion after 37 years for Pakistan. What a day for Pakistan sports. Future is in good hands," tweeted an elated Asim Azhar.

Sharing a poster of Pakistan Shaheens, actor Mawra Hocane wrote, "That’s how you do it! To many many more this year InshaAllah" Sharing a video of Hamza from the final, she made another tweet congratulating Pakistan and Hamza with clapping emojis.

Ali Zafar, too, praised the Pakistan Shaheens, stating, "Nothing can stop them!" with the hashtag, 'Champions'. He then shared Hamza's achievement to write, "This is amazing! Congratulation Hamza Khan. Congratulations Pakistan! As I keep saying, nurture your talent, it can bring you unquantifiable pride in all fields."

Singer and host Fakhr-e-Alam presented many virtual trophies to Hamza for "making us all proud" while giving a pat on the back to the Shaheens. "Shabash, Pakistanis! Super proud of our boys," he wrote.

Filmmaker Nabeel Qureshi chimed in on the buzz for the Shaheens, "Pakistan wins! Emerging Asia Champions." During the match, Qureshi also took a dig at the "biased" commentary while expressing his faith in the boys in green. "Do as much biased commentary as you want to, God willing, the boys in green will win."

Meanwhile, actor Adnan Siddiqui gave a huge congratulations to Hamza for "clinching" the World Junior Squash Championship title. He noted, "Bringing home the gold after three decades is an incredible achievement. It’s in the genes! Ur success will inspire a new generation of athletes."

Humayun Saeed added, "What fantastic news. Congratulations, Hamza Khan, we are all immensely proud of you! Pakistan Zindabad."

Faysal Qureshi too, commented on Hamza's victory, calling it a "moment of immense pride and inspiration for all of us."

Squash player Noorena Shams reflected on Hamza's journey and consecutive win through inspiring anecdotes shared on Twitter. "This win feels personal," she tweeted. "I saw Hamza Khan and his father making their way through rough patches the past few years. I saw him winning titles, facing bans, struggling with injuries and fighting for his right to play and represent. I still remember my conversation with him from two months back," she held.

"He looked so determined and passionate about winning the title. Trying to tell me how he wants to prove that he deserves all the support. Even if his training was at Peshawar or Pindi, he knew he wanted to do it badly. Credits to his coaches and especially his father for standing like a stone with him. With a gap of 37 years, he has made history. P.s,, when there wasnt a gym at the stadium and the ground was closed, we used to do training in groups on the ground of company bagh Peshawar cantt at 8 pm," Shams added.

Props to Hamza for braving the storm so Pakistan could rise to the top again in squash. Many congratulations to the Pakistan Shaheens for staying consistent and reviving hope.

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