ISLAMABAD - Former world squash champion Qamar Zaman Khan is upbeat about Pakistan team’s chances in the 2017 WSF Men’s World Team Squash Championship 2017, to be held in Marseille, France from November 27 to December 3.

  He said he asked them about their feeling and planning regarding the grand event. “Each and every player told me about his training and how much he is prepared to take on the opponents. Total 24 teams are taking part in the world team event, which are divided into 8 pools. Each pool includes three teams and Pakistan is placed with former world champions and losing finalists of last year Egypt and Switzerland. It is a tough group, but with the players’ preparations and training, I personally feel our team will make strong progress and give opponents tough time.”

Qamar said he spent almost two hours in the court with players and told them training methods, informed them about their good and bad points. “I played with them for quite some time and let me tell all that these players are although relatively inexperienced, yet they are very well trained and have guts of inflicting upset defeats on any given opponent.

“I know the current PSF management has been working with great devotion and determination. I told the players to forget about money and everything and just focus on winning the matches. I assure them that they will earn more than a cricketer, but they must not waste time on demanding meager benefits, rather they must earn respect and that can only be achieved through performances. I know senior vice president Air Vice Marshal Shahid Akhtar Alvi and secretary Group Captain Tahir Sultan are highly involved in squash and the way they have invested heavily on providing PSA tournaments to the players not only seniors but juniors as well,” he added.

Qamar said he would attend World Squash Federation’s highly important meeting along with SVP on November 30 in France. “I will not only meet with top WSF and PSA officials, but also with former greats, who are heading their respective federations. I will request the WSF to allocate major event like world junior individual and team event to Pakistan, as the WSF calendar is packed till 2020. We hope if a country, who had already allocated event during these dates, pulled off or had second thoughts, then Pakistan must be considered. We are ready and willing to host event in professional manner. Pakistan is the best place to host squash events because it is a land of squash champions.”

“I will also demand big money tournaments and also $25,000, $15,000 and $10,000 events not only at Islamabad but also at Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar. I can assure that Peshawar is the safest city of Pakistan. The PSA should not take Pakistan lightly, as we have conducted numerous world level events in the past and are capable of doing so in future too. I am sure WSF and PSA will listen to our genuine demands and positively act on that,” Qamar concluded.

Sharing his views, PSF secretary Tahir Sultan said it is very important for the players to understand how difficult it is to arrange funds for them. “We never demanded them to perform over the moon, but they should at least justify top class training, facilities and events that are being provided to them by playing out their hearts. I am grateful to CDA chairman Sheikh Ansar Aziz, who always lends a helping hand to the federation, while I also request the PSB DG to provide special funds for squash, so we may carry on good work,” Tahir added.

Sharing his views, PSF secretary Tahir Sultan said it is very important for the players to understand how difficult it is to arrange funds for them. “We never demanded them to perform over the moon, but they should at least justify top class training, facilities and events that are being provided to them by playing out their hearts. I am grateful to CDA chairman Sheikh Ansar Aziz, who always lends a helping hand to the federation, while I also request the PSB DG to provide special funds for squash, so we may carry on good work,” Tahir added.