Kuwait: Pakistan defeated arch-rivals India 2-0 in the men’s final of the 2012 Asian Team Squash Championships in Kuwait City and then promised that the result will trigger a revival for the sport in the country.
Farhan Zaman gave his team a perfect start in the title clash when he edged Harinder Sandhu 3-2 and later the seasoned Farhan Mehboob overcame Sourav Ghausal, the highest-ranked player in the tournament, with a similar margin to help Pakistan defend the men’s crown.
“It is a great result for us,” said Wing Commander Abdul Wahab Marwat, secretary of the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF).
“We are making efforts to revive our lost glory in squash and are confident that this title will help us in our campaign,”
Pakistan were once undisputed kings of world squash with their legendary champions that included Hashim Khan, Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan winning countless titles during a golden period which began in the fifties and lasted till the nineties.
But in the last 12 years or so, Pakistan squash has been experiencing a continuous slump and today the country which once used to have around six to seven of its players in the top-ten world rankings does not even have a single entry in the top-20 club.
