UK training for Nasir, Farhan to begin in March

KARACHI: Pakistan Squash Federation’s (PSF) new coaching programme for the top two players of the country under London-based Mohammad Yasin is all set to begin in March.
The executive committee of the federation in its meeting held October last year decided to decentralise its coaching programme and to send Nasir Iqbal and Farhan Zaman to the United Kingdom.
“The programme will commence from March. We are having a meeting with both players to get visas for them. This programme is initially for one year and based on the results it can be extended further,” PSF secretary Amir Nawaz told ‘The News’.
He added that Yasin would be providing free boarding to the players, while PSF would pay their club fee, training expenses and food charges.
“It has not yet been decided how much fee Yasin will be charging,” said Amir.
He added that it would be good if he charged less than 500 pounds because “we want his salary to be half of what we were paying to our national coach.
“We decided to send our top players to London and let them play at least ten events in a year. This has been the strategy of our legendary players,” said Amir.
He said that former world champion Qamar Zaman played many events while staying with Yasin.
“We are doing it for one year initially. If this experiment pays off, it will be pursued further for other players of the country,” added Amir.
The first event Nasir and Farhan will be playing under this programme will be $50,000 Canary Wharf Classic, to be held in London from March 21-27.
They will then play the $10,000 North of Scotland Open to be held in Aberdeen, Scotland, from March 31 to April 5.
They will also appear in the $15,000 IG Markets Open, to be held in Paris from March 31 to April 5.
They will also participate in the four events scheduled in Pakistan this year.
Farhan will play in the $5,000 Brest International Squash Classic in Brest, France, from April 6-10.
Yasin served Pakistan as coach in 2001. He was one of the leading players of the 1970s and was a finalist in the 1974 British Open. He coached world champion Jansher Khan, Qamar Zaman and Shahid Zaman Khan.