Squash coach backs Tayyab for Asian title

Second seed capable of winning regional juniors championship, says Gul.

KARACHI: Pakistan squash coach Jamshed Gul believes that Tayyab Aslam is capable of winning the Asian Juniors Individual Championship title as he prepares to play in the tournament’s quarter-finals in Kish, Iran.

Tayyab is seeded second for the event, while India’s Kush Kumar is the top seed. Defending champion Ali Bokhari is absent from the competition.

The Lahore-based player received a bye in the first round and went on to defeat Sri Lanka’s Ravindu Laksiri 3-1 in the last-16 match.

Although Laksiri proved a tough opponent for Tayyab, the Pakistani eventually won with scores of 13-11, 11-8, 8-11 and 15-13 in 46 minutes. The last-eight round will see him facing the winner of the match between India’s Madhav Dhingra and Iran’s Mohammad Dashti.

“Given his talent and fitness, Tayyab is capable of winning the Asian Junior title,” Gul told The Express Tribune.

“He has been working hard on his game over the last two years, and the time has come for him to step up. His real challenge will come up against Kumar – if both players make it to the finals – but it would be great if Asim Khan can beat Kush in the quarters.”

Asim will play against Kumar in the other quarter-final, while Israr Ahmed will take on Hong Kong’s Lau TszKwan.

When asked why Bokhari did not participate despite being the defending champion, Gul stated, “We want Bokhari to concentrate on the World Junior Championship and prepare him for bigger challenge.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 25^th, 2014.

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