ISLAMABAD - Former world squash champion Qamar Zaman met Beacon House owner and former foreign minister Khurseed Kasuri and urged him to play his role for the promotion of squash in the country.
While talking to The Nation on Saturday Zaman said: “I along with Pakistan Squash team head coach Jamshed Gul were invited as special guests in Islamabad on the Beacon House School Sports Gala and during our meeting with Kasuri I urged him to play part for finding and grooming fresh talent, as his chain of schools can play a major role in reviving this sports in the country.”
He said he was very grateful to Kasuri who took great interest in his proposal and promised to build squash courts in school premises and also ordered schools sports director to include squash in the next inter-regional games. Kasuri also promised to construct an academy naming after squash legend Qamar Zaman and former world squash champion will run day to day affairs of the academy and produce not only national but international level players. Zaman further said he had also offered Kasuri to avail the facilities of 13 available courts in Peshawar and offered his services in organising squash events for the entire country at the country's best available courts. Meanwhile sharing his views Gul said: “I would love to work for the proposed academy and my services are always available to the kids. I would deliver lectures, and work on both their physical and mental fitness.”
He further said there was an urgent need of finding and grooming squash talent. “It is my firm belief that Pakistan has a tremendous talent. The only need is to find and groom that talent. I am sure we can climb back to those squash heights where we were once, but to achieve that goal everybody has to contribute and there is no place better than a school to find that natural talent.”
PSF secretary Abdul Wahab Marwat hailed the Beacon House administration and offered his allout support and termed it a good omen for the future of squash. He further said on behalf of the PSF he would lend unconditional support to school and offered their courts.