PSF stops funding Jahangir Khan Academy

KARACHI: Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) has stopped funding to Jahangir Khan Academy, and now the academy is looking for permanent sponsors.

“The funding from PSF was temporary. It was about Rs300,000 per month,” Rashid Khan, an official of the academy, told ‘The News’. “This was for the support of the academy,” he added.

He said that they had now become self-sufficient so they did not need funding from PSF anymore.

The JK academy was established in March 2016 here in Karachi with 10 players and two courts.

PSF secretary Amir Nawaz said the funding had been stopped as it was meant for six months. “We extended it to nine months. We paid them almost Rs4 million,” said Amir.

He added that now the JK academy was in talks with Pakistan Navy. It is worth adding here that the academy is likely to be shifted from PSB’s coaching centre to Roshan Khan Complex.

When asked about the disappointing results the academy produced in over 10 months of its establishment, the PSF secretary said it was difficult to produce good results with this small amount. “When you start work, you cannot expect results in so short a period. These projects take time. This is just the beginning,” reasoned Amir.

A local coach said that this project was a classic example of irrational planning. “The academy did not send any of its players to international events in this period. Their performance at national events is not mentionable,” said the coach.

He added that the academy organisers did not allow players of the province representing PIA to play on their courts. “They were not even allowed to practice,” said the coach.

Also, the coach added, the management of the academy could not handle matters professionally as they sacked one coach, while two coaches left the academy because of their policies.

“Murtaza was sacked and Aslam left the academy,” said the coach, adding that the head coach of the academy Asif Khan also left the academy a few months back.

“There were more than 60 players at the squash complex of PSB’s coaching centre and now there are not more than 30 players, mainly because of the policies of Jahangir Khan,” said the coach.