ISLAMABAD - Former Pakistan No 1 squash player Nasir Iqbal has completed his four-month long training in USA and returned here to play squash and win laurels for the country.
Nasir has almost completed his four-year ban, imposed by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for using banned substance. During the banned period, he never admitted his guilt, but always said that he was banned due to the Indian lobby’s pressure.
During an interview with The Nation on Thursday, Nasir said: “It is pertinent to mention here that I had won a gold medal in the individual squash category of the 2016 South Asian Games, held in India. Then I was put into a conspiracy and handed over four-year ban. It was strange that my blood samples had showed positive results a day earlier, but on the very next day, my samples showed negative values. The WADA imposed an unjust ban upon me, instead of considering my unblemished career and past records.
“Now I have almost gone through the painful four-year ban period. I must say that I could not survive such a long period without playing squash, if my family members, including elder brother Tahir Iqbal, were not standing right behind me. I spent days and nights in a hospital due to severe sickness, as I cannot live without playing squash, which is my life. I was aiming very high, as I was on 35th position in the PSA rankings prior to the ban. I must thank squash lover Jahanzaib Masood, who stood by me during the crucial time and invited me to train in USA.”
Nasir further said: “I focused on mental and physical training in the last four months. Our country is facing worst time in the history of squash, as we are struggling badly to win major PSA titles. I still have lot of golden years left in me. I will once again start playing squash and won’t let my country down. I want to prove a point that I can still win major titles and help the country in winning team titles. I landed in the wee hours of Wednesday morning and went straight to Peshawar for starting my training under Tahir.”
“I will utilise my training experience in USA and start playing PSA tournaments. I will give best results in the coming tournaments and get back to top position without wasting any time. I am running against the time, as I have to cover four golden years of my life, which were taken away from me. I would like to meet Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) President Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan to discuss important points and inform him about my future plans. I have only one goal in my mind and that is to play positive squash for winning medals for the country,” Nasir concluded.