It is not the squash that produced champs

ISLAMABAD: It is not squash that we all know in a country that has produced champions and world- beaters like Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan.

What was on display Thursday during the first semifinal between Tayyab Aslam and Asim Khan forced one to believe that he was either watching amateur weekend players in action or taking a look at that country’s players who are not well-versed with the game and are just beginners in all definition of the game.Even the quality of the game was not worthy of a professional player-but more surprising and shocking was both players inability to stand against tough and challenging task.

Once the five-game first semifinal entered fourth, the level of stamina of both players started exposing their physical fitness. The urge to get better with each passing day should have been the forte of a true squash professional-but that was not visible on Thursday at the Mushaf Ali Complex.

Never before such scenes were on display in international squash which were there Thursday during this first semi. Every time Tayyab and Asim were seen getting engaged in eight to ten shots rally, the next minutes they were seen sitting at the floor trying to buy time to recapture their breath. That happened on no less than fifteen to eighteen times during the second half of the match. Watching the two making best use of opportunity to relax though is not new to Pakistan squash, it surely gave the true picture as where the game stands and why our players are behind when it comes to making their presence felt at international squash.

It is stamina, quick reflexes and physical fitness where our players are lacking in. We have heard so much that an academy is there to look after players fitness and other related development-however actually we have never seen any improvement on ground. These key elements are missing from the Pakistan leading players. It seems neither those who are working on players physical fitness are devoting proper time nor they are capable of delivering. Or one can say that players are not serious to improve their basic weakness. Had it not been to more than dozens of international events hosted by the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) last season, we might have seen even the top player getting into top eighty of the world.

Thanks to Air Marshal Shahid Akhtar Alvi’s effort and backing and support from the top some of our leading players are ranked amongst the top eighty. But possibly these would not sit there for long, considering the standard of their physical fitness and their lack of urge and appetite to get better with each passing day. Within next week, chances of change of guards at the office level are expected within the PSF. In recent times every effort has been made to improve players’ fitness and game level. Administratively, last four years could well be considered as the best in recent times. Players have been given every opportunity to bring the best out of them. Record number of international events for seniors, juniors training abroad and focus on junior players’ participation are some of the very impressive steps taken.

In modern day sports, however the main focus has always been on physical fitness. A player having less technical abilities with a better stamina and fitness has greater chances to excel than those having good techniques but no real fitness. Those given the reigns of handling the fitness of top players either are not well versed with this most important aspect or are not capable of doing their job probably. Hiring a qualified trainer for the leading juniors and seniors must be a top priority for those handling the squash affairs from here on.