Bilal given wild card for COAS International Squash

KARACHI: The Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) has given wild card to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bilal Zakir for the main round of $25,000 COAS International Squash Championship scheduled to be staged in Islamabad from September 27 to October 2.

Ten foreign players are participating in the event. According to the entry list, world number 28 Omar Abdel Meguid from Egypt is the top seed, while Egypt’s Karim Ali Fathi (ranked 41) and Mohamed Reda (ranked 44) are seeded second and third, respectively. 

Tsz Fung Yip from Hong Kong (ranked 50) is seeded fourth; Ivan Yuen from Malaysia (ranked 53) is seeded 5th; and Mazen Gamal from Egypt (ranked 67) is seeded 7th, while Geoffrey Demont from France (ranked 91) and Chi Him Wong from Hong Kong (99) are unseeded main draw players.

Pakistan’s main draw players are: sixth seed Farhan Zaman (ranked 56); eighth seed Tayyab Aslam (ranked 71); unseeded Shahjahan Khan (ranked 89); and wild card Bilal Zakir (ranked 254).The main round will begin September 29. According to the schedule, Omar will face Chi Him Wong; Tayyab is up against Bilal; Shahjahan will play against Mohamed Reda (EGY); and Geoffrey Demont is drawn against Farhan. Mazen, Tsz Fung Yip, Ivan Yuen, and Karim will face the qualifiers.