ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) melt down under the Punjab Squash Association (PSA)'s pressure, as the association’s coach Gogi Alluddin is nominated as junior team coach to travel with Pakistan team for the World Junior Team Championship to be held in Namibia from August 9.
PSF secretary Group Captain Amir Nawaz confirmed this to The Nation on Tuesday and said: “We have decided to send Gogi with team as coach and I will accompany the team as manager, as all the boys are from Punjab training under Gogi and it will be very wise to take the coach who knows the players well and it will be in great benefit for the entire team and enhance Pakistan’s victory chances.”
The sources on condition of anonymity have confirmed to this scribe that players didn’t want to play under Gogi and had requested the federation to review their stance. The PSF kept on changing their decisions, such was the pressure of the PSA that it had to get visas for three coaches, Gogi, Faheem and national head coach Jamshed Gul. Even PSA president Malik Amjed Noon talked to the senior vice president and forced him to take Gogi as coach of junior team, the sources added. “The senior and junior players are training in the national camp under head coach Jamshed Gul and Faheem Gul for the last several months including top female players,” they questioned.
When this scribe asked Jamshed whether he would be responsible for the team's results or Gogi, he replied: “As national head coach, I have made all the training camp plans. I would only be responsible for the results, If I was with the team. Now the results will lie on the shoulders of Gogi.”
When asked about whether Gogi will work under Jamshed's instructions, secretary Amir Nawaz said: “Yes, Gogi will follow Jamshed’s directions as he is the national coach and his plans will be followed in true letter and spirit. We don't care about results but the main thing is to give our juniors exposure.”
Refused to take responsibility of the team's results, Jamshed said: “If I was the in-charge, I preferred to start camp for at least 10 weeks, as three weeks are too less to prepare for the high-profile event. Last time, I helped the juniors in earning runners-up spot and that too without the services of our key player Danish Atlas in that event.”
One thing is clear that the PSF has almost ruined the chances of Pakistan team in the World Junior Team Championship due to their inefficiency to handle the situation. If the PSF doesn't want to spare Jamshed for 15 days event, then they should have preferred Faheem, who is arguably one of the best coaches of the country and has a strong international reckoning and secondly it is Faheem who is training the seniors, juniors and female players so it makes no sense of being part of the team just for a joy ride. No one else but the PSF secretary will be held responsible if the team fails to progress and match at least the previous performance.