Squash courts at cadet college named after Qamar Zaman

KARACHI: A long due credit to honour the squash legend Qamar Zaman has become a reality as the Navy has named squash courts after him.

According to details, Naval Chief Admiral Zafar Mehmood Abbasi inaugurated Qamar Zaman Squash complex at Manora Cadet College here on Monday.

“It's a great honour for me that the Chief of Naval staff has built a squash complex in recognition of my services. I am grateful to him,” said Qamar Zaman.

The 15th Board of Governors’ meeting of the college held on February 19 this year approved the construction of the complex in recognition of Qamar’s services to Pakistan and the game of squash.

The squash complex will provide cadets with an international standard sports facility within the campus.

Its construction work commenced in June 2018 and was completed in January 2020 at a cost of Rs22.25 million.

The facility has two wooden flooring squash courts and a seating arrangement for 600 persons.

Qamar started his professional squash career in 1968 by winning the Pakistan Junior Squash Championship.

On his first trip to the United Kingdom in 1973, he reached the semi-finals of the British Amateur Championship.

In 1974, he reached the semi-finals of the British Open and won the Australian Amateur Championship.

In the 1975 British Open, Qamar beat Geoff Hunt of Australia (the defending-champion) in the quarter-finals, and went on to win the title beating fellow Pakistani player Gogi Alauddin in the final.