Peshawar: Shaukat Khanum KP Squash Tournament got under way at Qamar Zaman Squash Complex here Saturday under the aegis of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Squash Association with more than 150 female and male players taking part.
Adviser to the Chief Minister on Sports and Youth Affairs Syed Fakhr Jahan was the chief guest at the event. Chairman KP Squash Association Qamar Zaman, General Secretary of Provincial Squash Association Mansoor Zaman, Chief Organizer and Squash Coach Sports Directorate Munoor Zaman, Director Blue Tone Squash Academy Wazir Gul, former champion and coach Mohibullah Khan, Shaukat Khanum Hospital Peshawar representatives, Provincial Squash Association Finance Secretary Mohammad Sajjad Khalil, Squash Coaches Amjad Khan, Executive Members Squash Association Sher Bahadur Fazal Khalil, Coaches M Adil Faqir Maqsood Hanif Gulab Sher and other personalities were also present on the occasion.
Sports Syed Fakhr Jahan paid tribute to the squash association for holding more than 25 tournaments for both male
and female players in different age groups and said that the government is taking steps for the development of the game of squash.
All the players will have to work day and night to regain the lost glories, he said. He also announced Rs. 0.6 million as cash prizes to be awarded to the position holders players. Squash Legend Qamar Zaman while paying tribute to Sports Advisor Syed Fakhr Jahan, said that the association under the supervision of the President Dawood Khan is encouraging the youth to actively participate in different age group tournaments.
He said that Shaukat Khanum Memorial KP Squash Tournament would be a regular feature and would be organized every year and now part of the annual calendar. We will make the tournament a part of the annual calendar, Qamar Zaman said.
It is being organized for a good cause and we are all involved, he said. Ali Bahadur and M Hamza won their matches in the second round of U17 categories. Shayan Ali, Hasan Zahid, Nouman Khan, Yasin Khattak, M Azan Khalil, Hasan Far
id, Harira Khan and Muhammad Shoaib also secured victories against their respective rivals during the tournament.