Squash: Team leaves for Malaysia with their hopes high

Pakistan to defend their team title at the Asian Junior Championship.

KARACHI: Skipper Tayyab Aslam is confident that Pakistan will be able to defend their crown successfully in the upcoming Asian Juniors Team Squash Championship to be played in Malaysia.

The team includes Tayyab, Ali Bokhari, Israr Ahmed and Asim Khan, who were set to depart last night along with coach Fahim Gul.

The captain believes that while Malaysia and India will pose a tough challenge for Pakistan, the team is good enough to see them off.

“We have a very talented squad despite two new players coming up in the form of Israr and Asim,” Tayyab told The Express Tribune.

“Although it will be their first experience at the Asian juniors’ event, they are good enough to do the job whenever needed. Most of the pressure will be on me as well as Ali, because we are experienced. If we win our matches, it will set a good example for the new players.”

Both Tayyab and Ali have remained Asia’s junior champions in individual competition.

The skipper further added that the team has trained hard and is in good shape, both physically and mentally.

According to the seeding of the players, Tayyab will be Pakistan’s top seed followed by Asim on second and Ali in third.

Ali’s seeding has suffered due to low ranking in the Professional Squash Association (PSA) charts.

“Being at third, Ali could be a blessing in disguise for us in big matches. In case I win my first and we lose the second, we’ll still have a top player for us in the decider so it’s good for Pakistan,” said Tayyab.

This will be first big event that Pakistan will play in the last four years without former national coach Jamshed Gul.

Under Gul, Pakistan made heartening progress at the Asian level, though their performance at the global stage remained almost the same.

Meanwhile, former Pakistan Squash Federation senior vice president Razi Nawab will also travel to Malaysia in capacity of Asian Squash Federation’s vice president in order to attend the Annual General Meeting of the continental body.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 27^th, 2015.

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