PSF seeks stakeholders’ support to resume activities amid Covid-19

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) seeks stakeholders support to restart activities at earliest in an effort to keep up their leading players in best of mental and physical condition for future international events.

Group Captain Tahir Sultan, Secretary PSF while talking to The News said that it would be highly impossible for the federation to restart activities without the active backing of players, their parents, governments and other stakeholders.

“It seems that we will have to live with COVID-19 for some time. In that case there is a dire need to restart game’s activities at domestic level. Don’t forget that squash is a contact sports and is usually played indoors. There is a higher risk involved. What we want is total support from players to follow our SOPs.

Before that we would be needing parents’ permission allowing their kids to stay within the academy premises for training. The government is also required to back federation in their efforts to restart game activities. So government permission is must to restart these activities. So far we are not been able to get government permission.” Secretary PSF said the onus was on stakeholders.

“It is up to the all related and concerned to help us restart activities. We want to restart activities at the earliest. Admitted that there is risk involved in taking such activities but at the same time we are worried about the mental and physical health of our leading and upcoming players. They need to be mentally and physical tough and ready for events ahead. We hope and pray that COVID-19 settles down at earliest.

In that case our players should be ready to play against the best in the world.”Players like Nasir Iqbal is waiting in the wings to play against the best following going through tough four years of international ban while youngsters like Hamza Khan needs tough training for getting settled down for world level junior events. He has already made waves at British Open and now looks all set to make his presence felt at World Junior events.