Federation backs Atlas despite poor show

Pakistan’s top squash player under the scanner.


Our Correspondent December 17, 2012

KARACHI: Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) has kept faith in the country’s top player Amir Atlas Khan and termed him key to the country’s future despite repeated failure at the international circuit.

The federation part- sponsored Atlas on the tour of the US where he appeared in three tournaments but failed to do well in any of them, crashing out of two of them in the qualifying rounds. In the other event - the PSA World Championship – Atlas crumbled under pressure and was sent crashing out in the first round.

“It’s a long road ahead and we’re hopeful that Atlas will do well in the future despite his poor show,” PSF Secretary Abdul Wahab Marwat told The Express Tribune. “I feel it would be unfair to judge the number one player of Pakistan on the basis of just a few tournaments. I’m sure he has all the potential to do well against top players and he will be one of our four players who will be sent to the US in January for a training programme.”

However, Marwat stressed that the federation will take accountability of the players as well because they have been set goals for every tournament they participate to improve their ranking. He revealed that the four players – Atlas, Nasir Iqbal, Danish Atlas Khan and Nasir Iqbal – will leave for the US after a PSA tournament in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, the official added that PSF will continue sending players for PSA tournaments despite having limited funds.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 18th, 2012.

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