Ill-planning mars KG squash event

KARACHI: Ill planning and violations of rules have marred ongoing Karachi Gymkhana National Men Squash Championship.

The organisers put age restriction for trials to select four slots for qualifying rounds but later waived off this restriction.

They then allowed even those players who had failed to qualify for the main round. According to the qualification draw, Kashif Asif from Punjab was playing against Jahangir Khan (junior) from Sindh and both managed to enter the main round.

Similarly, Junaid Rehman from Sindh was up against Muhammad Waseem from Punjab in the first qualifying round but they both were allowed to play the main round.

Ashfaq from Sindh also lost in the qualifying round but still entered the main round. “They shouldn’t have held qualifying rounds when they did not have enough players,” said a source.

Moreover, many players could not come to play this championship just because the timing of the event. Karachi is having extreme hot weather these days, which made many players from across the country stay away from this championship.

Those who did not come include Tayyab Aslam and Waqar Mehboob from ZTBL, Bilal Zakir, Saddam-ul-Haq, Raees Khan, and Abbas Shoukat from Army, and Asif Khalil from KP.

One qualifier Safeer from PAF also did not come.

“Hot weather in Karachi and low prize money (Rs100,000) repelled players,” said the source.

The source added that one interesting thing found about this event was that many referees were also playing this championship. “They do refereeing in the morning and play matches in the evening, or vice versa,” added the source.

“Players are allowed to do refereeing once they are out of the event but this is not the case here in this championship. This is a serious violation,” said the source.

The source added that the organisers should have offered at least Rs400,000 in prize money.

“Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) should take serious notice of these things that are damaging for the game of squash. The organisers must be held accountable,” said the source.