Daily Times

LAHORE: Hamza Khan helped Pakistan win World Junior Squash Championship crown after 37 years when he defeated Egypt’s Mohamed Zakaria in the final in Melbourne, Australia on Sunday. Hamza claimed a 3-1 victory over Zakaria in the finale, with a scoreline of 10-12, 14-12, 11-3 and 11-6. The last Pakistan player to lift this trophy was Jansher Khan, who won the title 37 years ago in 1986. The last time a Pakistan player made the finals was Amir Atlas Khan in 2008. The final between Hamza and Zakaria started off in an exciting manner with two back-to-back games, ending up in tiebreakers. However, Hamza convincingly took the following two games to complete a 3-1 win. It is interesting to note that Zakaria took the lead in the second game, which lasted for 26 minutes with a score of 12-10. It was another thrilling encounter as the Pakistani was down 8-10, but denied Zakaria the much-needed game point twice and levelled the match with 14-12 win. The next two games were a total contradiction to what everyone witnessed in first two games. Hamza won the third game without much resistance in just 6 minutes with a score of 11-3, before finally winning the 4th with a score of 11-6.

Hamza qualified for the final of the World Junior Squash Championship on Saturday. French player Melvil Scianimanico fought back from two games and match ball down but Hamza prevailed in the decider to qualify for the final. Hamza – who had won the Under-15 title at the British Junior Open Squash Championship in 2020 – thanked his coach, his managers and his parents for their support. Congratulations poured in for Hamza on social media. The Pakistan Olympic Association and the Pakistan Squash Federation have felicitated Hamza on his brilliant victory. “Every shot was a testament to his dedication and passion for the sport,” the national squash federation posted on social media. “The squash court witnessed an unforgettable battle as Hamza played with sheer energy, exceptional skills, and a brilliant tactical mind against the formidable Egyptian player Zakaria!”

Peshawar boy Hamza has a strong squash pedigree. The former World No 14 Shahid Zaman is his maternal uncle and the legendary Qamar Zaman happens to be a close relation. Zaman’s late wife was the sister of Hamza’s father. Hamza said that his ultimate goal was to win major titles. “My ultimate goal is to bring back the big titles, the British Open and the World Open, to Pakistan,” he concluded.