Danish Sikandar: From spectator to provincial champion

Bannu boy overcomes poverty, lack of facilities to become K-P’s top-ranked junior squash player

PESHAWAR:

Fourteen-year-old Danish Sikandar, a Class 9 student from the backward village of Mandan in Bannu district, has emerged as the number one ranked junior squash player in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in the Under-15 category, a remarkable journey marked by financial hardship, determination and unwavering support from his coach.

Danish’s squash story began in December 2021 after his father, a PESCO employee, was transferred to Peshawar. With no prior exposure to the sport in Bannu, where no squash facilities exist, the family relied on encouragement from Danish’s relative and senior coach Tahir Iqbal, who urged them to bring the boy to the Peshawar Sports Complex.

“I had no money to buy even a racket,” Danish told The Express Tribune. “My trainer Tahir Iqbal gave me one. For the first six or seven months, I just sat in the squash court and watched other players before I started playing myself.”

His persistence paid off. Danish lost his first match at the Qamar Zaman Squash Complex but steadily improved. In 2023, he won the K-P Junior Championship. He followed it up with the Under-13 title in Karachi and the Under-15 Championship in 2025.

Yet success has come at a steep personal and financial cost. Travelling to Karachi for national events is particularly burdensome. “A bus ticket costs Rs8,000 one way and accommodation and food are also expensive,” he said. Prize money offers little relief. While winners are officially entitled to Rs100,000, the amount is shared among players, leaving Danish with just Rs25,000. Those eliminated in the first round receive a meagre Rs1,200, a sum that discourages many talented players from poor families.

“So far I have won two golds, three silvers and eight bronze medals,” Danish said, adding that he currently owns just two rackets, one of which is broken. He spends Rs15,000 monthly on transport via the BRT service and recently purchased a racket for Rs35,000. A good professional-grade racket costs around Rs55,000.

Coach Tahir Iqbal, who has closely guided Danish, highlighted the boy’s discipline and character. “We often talk about talent, but punctuality, hard work and the willingness to accept challenges are equally important. Without these, talent is nothing,” Iqbal said.

He noted that Danish remains exceptionally punctual despite severe resource constraints. To help monitor the young player’s progress, Iqbal obtained Fitbit smartwatches from friends in the United States. “I was shocked one day to discover that he walked 35,000 steps during a fitness session,” the coach said. “Now I can track his sleep, running, walking and entire daily routine through GPS.”

Iqbal also pointed to systemic challenges at the Qamar Zaman Squash Complex. “Currently we have 300 students and only three squash courts, which is simply overcrowding. Ideally, you need one court for every 10 players and each player should have two rackets,” he added.

Despite the odds, Danish’s story stands as an inspiring example of raw talent nurtured through sheer grit in a resource-scarce environment.

Iqbal lauded the provincial government for its sports friendly policies but said that the province itself was facing economic hardship and private organizations and sponsors are non-existent.

“Provincial government is trying to establish sports infrastructure in all the districts of the province which is really encouraging,” he added.