ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s lone hope Tayyab Aslam also crashed out of the $30,000 Serena Hotels Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) International Squash for Men 2018, when he was thrashed by Hong Kong’s Leo Au 3-0 in the semifinals here at the Mushaf Squash Complex on Thursday.
The first game started with both Leo and Tayyab putting up huge energy and fighting for each and every point. Tayyab could have sealed the game, had he not relaxed. Leo took full advantage and took the first game 11-9 in 22 minutes. The second game was one-sided affair as Leo simply outclassed Tayyab and took the game 11-2 in 8 minutes. In the third game, Tayyab ran out of gas and was committing too many mistakes, hitting the tin and was looking tired, while on the other hand, Leo was playing with great energy and won the game 11-5 in 13 minutes to send Tayyab packing from the tournament and set final date with Egyptian Youssef Soliman.
In the second semifinal, Egyptian Youssef Soliman made a huge upset as he ousted second seed and one of the favourites Malaysian Nafizwan Adnan. Nafizwan started the first game well and took it 11-4. After losing the first game, Youssef showed his temperament and fighting skills and took the second game 11-9, won the third game 13-11 and fourth 11-6 to complete a memorable victory in 1 hour and 8 minutes.
In the $10,000 International Squash Tournament for Women, top seed Egyptian Rowan Elarby beat compatriot Farida Mohamed 3-1 to set up final date with Nada Abbas. Rowan won the first game 11-2, took the second 11-6, but lost the third 9-11, before winning the fourth game 11-6 to wrap up the match in 36 minutes. In the second semifinal, Egyptian Nada Abbas beat Hong Kong’s Tong Tsz-Wing 3-1 in 38 minutes. Nada won first game 11-5, lost the second 9-11, then again won the third game 11-3 and fourth 11-9 to register victory and booked berth in final.
With Tayyab’s ouster, all the tall claims of Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) regarding top class coaching and over-the-moon training were brought down to earth. It seemed that a fully grown man (Leo) was playing against a school-going kid (Tayyab). Although Leo is world ranked 20 and Tayyab 95, yet the federation can’t hide their failures in rankings difference. If that is the case, then PSF should conduct circuit events, which will help the local players to play against top players of the world and improve their world rankings.
Tayyab is highly fortunate to play the semifinals, as he was up against compatriot Asim Khan in the quarterfinals, or else Pakistani players’ journey, like witnessed in the past, could have ended in the quarterfinals. The PSF is not ready to pay any heed towards fast-declining international rankings of the players, as not a single Pakistani player is in top 70 or even top 80 in the PSA rankings. But the federation is keeping mum and presenting ‘all is well’ picture to the PSF President.
They claim that juniors are winning the tournaments, but they never bothered to inform that all those tournaments are non-ranking ones and mainly played in Qatar and other unknown places, where only Pakistani players take part in numbers, which resulted in Pakistani players facing each other in the semifinals and finals, but when they have to face international players, they bow mostly out at the first hurdle.
It was time and again requested to the federation to appoint a reputed coach, rather than paying hefty amounts to local coaches, who don’t know the ABC of squash and mostly remain busy in praising the federation and reaping rewards. After Jamshed Gul sacking in 2014 and Fahim Gul temporary appointment, Pakistani players rankings badly suffered, but the PSF kept on claiming ‘all is well’. Now Fahim has also shown the door just to save the skin of a few certain individuals while the federation is mainly relying on part-timers like M Yasin, who could hardly move. Ever since, Yasin was hired, Pakistani players couldn’t deliver in international events and his pathetic results are good enough to show him door, but the PSF is not in mood to take such bold step. Had the federation taken Pakistan squash seriously, they would have worked on the likes of Farhan Mehboob, Aamir Atlas, Farhan Zaman, Danish Atlas and Nasir Iqbal. Nasir had served more than two years of undone crime and it is high time when the PSF must take up his case and let him play again for the country. He will resolve all the woes of Pakistan squash and help the country start winning laurels again.