ISLAMABAD   -  Top Pakistan players Tayyab Aslam and Asim Khan were thrashed by Hong Kong’s players in the third round of the 20th Asian Individual Squash Championship 2019, being played at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

In the first match of third round, Tayyab Aslam was up against world number 24 Max Lee of Hong Kong. Lee started the first game on a high note and comfortably won it 11-5. In the second, both the players put each other under enormous pressure and it could have gone in either’s way, but Lee prevailed and took the game 12-10.

Tayyab bounced back in the third game as he managed to break Lee’s dominance and took the game 11-8. But after playing so well, Tayyab was nowhere in the fourth game as Lee played like a true champion and finished Tayyab off in style to take the game 11-1, thus won the match in 42 minutes.

In the second match of third round, Hong Kong’s Leo Au taught squash lesson to Asim Khan as he won the encounter in straight games in just 33 minutes. Au won the first game 11-7, second 11-6 and third 11-3 to send Asim packing. Asim is known for his non-serious attitude and simply throws games away. Instead of fielding such weak players, the PSF should have gone with time-tested players like Aamir Atlas Khan.

It is worth mentioning here that in Pakistan Squash Federation’s (PSF) last annual general meeting held in October last year, both Tayyab and Asim had refused to train at Mushaf Squash Complex under the qualified coaches of the PSF and made it very clear that they wanted to train in Punjab. The pathetic results of both the players in Asian Individual Squash Championship exposed the level of their training while they must understand that it is not a provincial team, which they are representing rather it is a national team so they must prefer the country and its prestige above each and everything.

It is also the PSF’s fault as why they melt under undue pressure from the players. How can players dictate the federation? If the players don’t want to follow rules and regulations, they have no right to wear national blazer. The way both Tayyab and Asim got hammering from Leo Au and Max Lee in the third round is more than enough to prove that they were never trained accordingly.

When this scribe contacted PSF Game Development Officer Sqd Ldr Aamir Iqbal regarding such a pathetic results of Tayyab and Asim, Aamir replied: “The PSF wanted these players to train with national coaches at Mushaf Complex, but they preferred to train at Punjab. We reminded them time and again to come and train as the mega event was round the corner, but they never paid any heed. If the PSF implements rules and regulations, the players and associations get upset and if we let them at their own, we have to face such results.

“Obviously, the federation is highly disappointed with such pathetic results and we will seek explanation from these players. The PSF always try to provide over-the-top training and facilities to the players and expect the players to respond in the best possible manner. In my personal opining, both Tayyab and Asim were more than capable of beating any given player in the championship, but they disappointed the nation,” Aamir concluded.”

It is high time when the PSF President should seek explanation from not only the federation, but also from the players. The federation has invested huge amount of money on players and they must perform accordingly. Any further delay can spell more disaster and more pathetic results will come thick and thin.