Nasir has all the potential to check into top 20: PSF hopes for fresh, stronger restart after Covid-19, says Amir

ISLAMABAD: Like many other sports squash is also hard hit by COVID-19 with all major international events falling within the next three months either are cancelled or postponed in a hope that life gets back to normal in due course for eagerly awaited restart.

Amid the uncertainty one good news that has emerged for the Pakistan squash is a marked increase in its security rating that now has allowed the country to organize or host all major international events without any pre- tournament security assessment from an independent or off shore security agency.

Now the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) is free to host international events without extra burden in shape security fee. Senior Vice President (SVP) PSF Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Amir Masood in an exclusively talk with The News believes the game of squash in the country would be off to broader and brighter start once the clouds of Virus Pandemic would be over. “The news of immediate interest for the Pakistan squash fans is that the Professional Squash Association (PSA) has declared Pakistan a safe place to organize international events even of highest prize money. With no security fees and extra burden of arranging excessive and unnecessary security arrangements, we can now only concentrate on organising events that we were used to do in the past. That was why we planned a bigger and more lucrative CAS Open in Islamabad in April which we had to postpone due to COVID-19 outbreak. But one thing is certain that from here on Pakistan squash would emerge stronger and better once the dust of pandemic settles down. I am very optimistic and hopeful that squash in Pakistan would result oriented. We pray to Almighty Allah to help us come out of this pandemic at the earliest.”

Amongst PSF priorities, he hopes to see Nasir Iqbal springing back from isolation with a set aim. “His aim should be to emerge amongst the top 20 in the world in a year time after action restarts. We hope and pray that he would go on to achieve this target. Even in years of isolation where he was facing ban, Nasir didn’t lose heart and had worked on his fitness and training which he carried out individually.

Surely he is physically extremely fit. Now when the ban is over we will provide him and other two top players Tayyab Aslam and Farhan Mehboob equal opportunities to excel. Tayyab and Farhan has been enjoying these luxuries for years. But Nasir who missed out because of ban will now get the same. With consistent efforts we hope to see sharp rise in Nasir ranking once the PSA Calendar restarts.”

AVM Amir Masood however reiterated that the PSF top priority would be to strengthen the base of the game, to invest on junior squash and on those who had excelled in international junior events including the recently concluded British Open. “We are following their progress. Those juniors who have achieved laurels for the country especially in British Open need federation backing and we would provide all available support to sharpen their skills further.”

The biggest question AV Masood admitted had been to help these juniors in their graduation to senior stage. “That is very important aspect. There we want go to any extent to see our top juniors making visible progress when they join the professional circuit. They will be extended all possible support in their efforts.”

In days of confinement at home, the PSF has chalked up a special guideline for the leading professionals and one of them is to maintain healthy diet. “Maintaining healthy diet is key to fitness especially when you are restricted to home for a few weeks. We have asked all to adhere to official guideline and stay at home to avoid any unnecessary contact. Till that time besides using all available tools of exercise at home, these top junior and senior players must maintain healthy diet chart. We don’t want them to put on extra wait that usually happens when you start eating too much and do little exercise.”