Mobile squash court hit by negligence

KARACHI: An all-weather, four-wall glass squash court purchased by the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) from ASB is languishing at Karachi port for five months as the federation has not yet been able to decide where to install it.
It has been learnt that the mobile court, which was donated by ASB for the Asian Beach Games held in Thailand last November, was bought by PSF in December last for over Rs12 million. It is the second four-wall glass court in the country.
But the federation is still unsure about its installation, the court is rusting at the Karachi port.
Former President PSF, Tahir Rafique Butt gave an initial amount of Rs 0.4 million for the purpose, which the federation is paying to ASB in installments due to its financial constraints.
The PSF initially planned to install the court in Peshawar where squash remains a popular sport.
But during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the federation held in the last week of April, the new president of federation, Sohail Aman decided to give the portable court to Balochistan.
“The president asked me to take the court and install it in Quetta and organise a high-prized event on the court, probably in August. PSF would bear all the cost (around Rs1 million) of the installation and transportation of the court,” Balochistan Squash Association (BSA) president Sher Khan Kakar told ‘The News’ after the meeting.
In the same meeting, the deposed president of Sindh Squash Association Tahir Khanzada requested the house to install this court in any shopping mall of Karachi.
“Tahir said they can hold a PSA event on this court in the last quarter of this year,” said a source present in the meeting.
But the secretary PSF Amir Nawaz has different plans for the court.
“It would be installed in Lahore. We cannot give it to Balochistan. We would not like to hold any PSA event on this court as suggested by Tahir. There are a lot of good places in Karachi to hold PSA events,” said Amir.
Meanwhile, former national coach Jamshed Gul suggested keeping this court mobile to hold events in every city of the country.
“This is a mobile court and this type of courts is used this way across the world. PSF should not waste it,” added Jamshed.
However, Secretary SSA Mohammad Amir Khan said the PSF should give this court to Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) for better use.
“PIA gave a lot to squash in Pakistan, and now PIA is without any squash court because the world famous squash complex it owned once in Karachi is now taken on lease by Jehangir Khan,” said Amir.
He added that for the past 12 years or so, no squash has been played in this complex therefore the PSF should give this court to PIA.