PSF slammed for lack of junior events

KARACHI: The support of Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) to a parallel squash body in Sindh has been resulting in the extinction of junior events in the province.

First, Roshan Khan international junior event was turned into senior event and now DG Rangers junior event has been turned into a seniors’ event. Now, only one or two junior events are held in the province.

“The regional countries like India and Malaysia are including more and more international junior events in their calendars to provide the best opportunities to their junior players but here it is the other way round,” said an official of Sindh Squash Association (SSA).

He added that the parallel body of SSA at the helm of affairs with “the illegal support of PSF” was responsible for this debacle and for the suffering of junior players of the province since the players “can’t easily” go to the other areas of the country to play junior events.

The official added that one of the reasons was Director Referee of PSF, “who is an official of the parallel squash body in Sindh, who for the sake of his allowance he gets by refereeing in senior events is converting the junior tournaments into senior events, which is shameful.

“Sadly, the PSF is silent about this damage being done to the junior squash of Sindh. They are supporting that culprit. They should stop this and convert the senior events into juniors,” said the official.

A local coach said that squash had changed a lot. “But in Pakistan no one is ready to listen. Because they cannot do it themselves and also they don’t allow others who are eligible to do that,” said the coach.

He added that the rest of the world would move forward and Pakistan squash would go backwards if this trend of converting junior events into seniors continued. “There would be no development of junior squash in the country,” he added.

PSF secretary Tahir Sultan said they did not give any “undue” support to Tahir Khanzada. “It depends on sponsors, what tournament they want to give money for. Next year, we will add junior events,” he added.