Noor Zaman wins Chief of the Air Staff Squash Championship

Noor Zaman of Pakistan captured the Chief of the Air Staff International Squash Championship title after a thrilling five-game final at the Mus’haf Squash Complex in Islamabad. The championship carried a total prize fund of USD 37,000.

In the closely contested final, 10th seed Hamza Khan started strong, taking the first game 11-9 and the second 11-7. However, world U23 champion and second seed Noor Zaman, ranked 42nd globally, mounted a comeback, winning the next three games 11-7, 11-4, and 11-8 to clinch the trophy.

Noor Zaman, the grandson of former world champion Qamar Zaman, demonstrated composure and skill under pressure to overturn an early deficit and lift the championship.

Hamza Khan had produced two major upsets en route to the final, defeating top-seeded Egyptian Kareem El Hammamy in the quarterfinals and overcoming sixth-seed David Burnett of Sweden in the semifinals.

The championship highlighted the depth of emerging Pakistani squash talent and reaffirmed the country’s presence on the international squash stage.