Noor Zaman wins U23 squash championship after stellar comeback

Staff Report

KARACHI: Pakistan’s rising squash star, Noor Zaman, won the final of the inaugural WSF World U23 Squash Championships on Thursday after he registered a stellar comeback against Egypt’s Kareem El Torkey.  Zaman was facing a slump with a score of 2-0 but soon he gained momentum and dominated the next three sets of the five-set game, winning the title by 3-2.  Talking after winning the title, Zaman said after being two points down, his only thought was “to focus on my game”.  “I had it in my mind to fight till the very end,” he added.  The second-seeded Zaman faced Torkey in the final after defeating Malaysia’s Ameeshenraj Chandaran on Wednesday at Karachi’s DHA Creek Club in the semi-final stage of the event. Zaman was already two games up when his opponent retired from the game. “The crowd support has been incredible and I’ll give everything to win this title for Pakistan,” said Zaman after the semi-final.

‘Global recognition for Pakistan’:

Zaman’s outstanding performance in the tournament earned him felicitations from the country’s top leadership including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari. Congratulating the entire nation on Zaman’s success, the PM stated: “Noor Zaman has brought global recognition to Pakistan through his performance”. “The whole nation is proud of Noor Zaman, says Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif,” he added. The premier expressed hope for Pakistan’s future in squash, saying the country will “regain its lost glory in the field of squash”. On the other hand, the president remarked that Zaman displayed “outstanding performance in the championship, including the final” and has brought “pride to Pakistan in the sport of squash”. “I am hopeful for Noor Zaman’s continued success in the future,” said Zardari and prayed for Zaman’s future achievements.

Egyptian triumph on the women’s side:

Egypt’s Fayrouz Abouelkheir picked up the championship title in a quick 31 minute final against Hong Kong’s Chan Sin Yuk. She took the first two sets 12-10, 11-9 with ease. Yuk had a slow start in the third game and had exhaustion written all over her as she crept to Abouelkheir’s 8-5. The Egyptian breezed through the next two points to win the final without breaking a sweat, it seemed.  “I know I’m not the fittest player on tour and I’m always trying to work on that,” she said in her post match interview. The closing ceremony began with Sindh Squash Association President Adnan Asad calling the event a gateway and first step to getting Pakistan squash back on track.  “This tournament was to set the stage and produce another Jahangir Khan in the modern age. The target is to secure Olympic gold at LA 2028.” World Squash Federation President Zena Woolridge highlighted how this was the first women’s championship to be held in Pakistan and hoped for momentum on this front. She thanked the hosts for organising a world class event, and especially thanked the players.  “The camaraderie shows that sports has no boundaries, not language nor culture. The camarediry has been fantastic both on and off court.” Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said: “I used to watch Jahangir Khan and Qamar Zaman, and to see the talent now in Noor Zaman; this is a great moment for squash and for Pakistan.”