Asim Khan, Nasir Iqbal lead home challenge at Venus ABC Open

Pakistan’s Muhammad Asim Khan and Nasir Iqbal will lead the home challenge at the Venus ABC Open 2026, which brings together an international field of players for the Professional Squash Association (PSA) Copper event in Karachi from October 21 to 25.
Pakistan will also be represented by Abdullah Nawaz and Azan Ali Khan in the men’s draw, while Anam Aziz and Rushna Mehboob will compete in the women’s event as wildcard entries.
The tournament offers prize money of $41,000 each for the men’s and women’s competitions, taking the combined purse to $82,000. The event is part of the PSA World Tour calendar.
The men’s draw features 20 players, led by top seed Curtis Malik of England, followed by Egypt’s Karim El Hammamy, Malaysia’s Sanjay Jeeva and Egypt’s Yassin Shohdy.
Perry Malik of England is seeded fifth, while Rowan Damming of the Netherlands occupies the sixth seed. Egypt’s Yassin Elshafei is seeded seventh, with Pakistan’s Asim Khan completing the top eight.
The field also includes Hong Kong’s Matthew Lai and Chi Him Wong, Malaysia’s Mohammad Syafiq Kamal and Yee Xian Siow, and Pakistan’s Nasir Iqbal. Other entrants include Ziad Ibrahim of Egypt, Naoki Hayashi of Japan, Salah Eltorgman of Egypt and Ravindu Laksiri of Sri Lanka.
Abdullah Nawaz and Azan Ali Khan will represent Pakistan as wildcard entrants, adding further local interest to the men’s competition.
The women’s draw features 24 players, with England’s Lucy Turmel heading the seedings. Egypt’s Amina El Rihany is the second seed, followed by compatriots Nadine Shahin and Rowan Elaraby in third and fourth place.
France’s Marie Stephan is seeded fifth, Malaysia’s Ainaa Amani sixth, Switzerland’s Cindy Merlo seventh and England’s Hayley Ward eighth.
The remaining field includes Hong Kong’s Toby Tse, Germany’s Saskia Beinhard, Egypt’s Nour Khafagy and Malak Fathy, Japan’s Akari Midorikawa, Malaysia’s Wai Yhann Au Yeong and Wai Iynn Au Yeong, Germany’s Katerina Tycova, the Netherlands’ Tessa ter Sluis, Germany’s Maya Weishar, Czech Republic’s Tamara Holzbauerová, Pakistan’s Sana Bahadar, South Korea’s Rui Jean Yek and Egypt’s Habiba Rizk.
Pakistan’s Anam Aziz and Rushna Mehboob have received wildcard entries in the women’s draw.
With players from Pakistan, Egypt, England, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, France, the Czech Republic and South Korea in the entry lists, the Venus ABC Open is set to bring a diverse international field to Karachi.