Rising star Hamza Khan ends 37-year drought after winning WSF World Junior Championship

• Hamza Khan expressed happiness at the WSF World Junior Championship.
• He bemoaned the lack of support he received early in his career.
• He emphasized the need for more support and financial assistance for squash players.

Hamza Khan, the champion, expressed happiness following Pakistan’s historic triumph at the WSF World Junior Championship in Melbourne, but he also bemoaned the lack of support he received early in his career and while he was going through a hard period.

After a 37-year absence, Khan won the tournament on Sunday, bringing it back to Pakistan in the footsteps of Sohail Qaisar and Jansher Khan, who won in 1982 and 1986, respectively.

He defeated Egypt’s Mohamed Zakaria to reestablish the country’s long-lost dominance in squash.

Speaking during an interview, the 17-year-old athlete said: “They say squash doesn’t get enough support because there are no players. There are squash players in Pakistan, but they need support.”

🇵🇰 PAKISTAN’S FIRST CHAMPION SINCE 1986!

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Hamza Khan comes from behind to win the 2023 WSF World Junior Squash Championship!

Result: WSF World Junior Squash Championships Men’s Final

🇵🇰 [3/4] Hamza Khan bt [3/4] Mohamed Zakaria 🇪🇬
3-1: 10-12, 14-12, 11-3, 11-6#WSFjuniors pic.twitter.com/mKsEkEFknO

— World Squash (@WorldSquash) July 23, 2023

He claimed that when others left him alone, his father was mentoring and encouraged him through his highs and lows.

“Now that I have won, everyone is calling me and reminding how they taught me the sport. They should have earlier thought of holding my hand during low days. But it was just my father who supported me,” Khan shared the challenges of during his career.

He lamented that cricket had more national support whereas squash received none. When questioned about feeling under pressure following the significant victory, the athlete requested “support” from the government.

“We are very weak financially. For instance, when we ask the federation for tickets to participate in the [Professional Squash Association] PSA tournament, they refuse,” he said, adding that the federation cites the high cost of tickets as a reason for refusal and only supports players up to the junior level.

🎙 “Pakistani Squash is back!”

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Here’s the moment 🇵🇰 Hamza Khan ended Pakistan’s 37-year wait for a WSF World Junior Squash Champion title 🏆#WSFjuniors @paksquash @squashAUS pic.twitter.com/h7K50hAVjH

— World Squash (@WorldSquash) July 23, 2023

The athlete said that during the competition, he was alone with the director of the Pakistan Squash Federation and was not accompanied by a coach, physiotherapist, or other competitor. He claimed that the federation gave the reason for not bringing the coach along as a lack of cash.

“It is important for the coach and physio to be with the player in case of an injury,” he shared.

The teenager mentioned that he put in a lot of effort and received support from the Pakistan Army and Pakistan Air Force in preparation for the tournament.

He expressed gratitude to his manager Major Suleman for providing significant support. Khan revealed that he had a strong determination to break the record, which was a goal he set in his heart.

As the only player representing Pakistan on the world stage, Khan admitted feeling under immense pressure, especially when other countries had at least six players participating.

He acknowledged the importance of the backing he received from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan but emphasized the need for financial support at this time.

🇵🇰🏆Muhammad Hamza Khan Became the New World Junior Champion! 🌟🇵🇰

🎉 It is with immense pride and joy that we announce the incredible achievement of Muhammad Hamza Khan, who has secured the title of World Junior Champion at the WSF World Junior Squash Championship 2023🏅💪 pic.twitter.com/Up6vzmFTVR

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— Pakistan Squash Federation (@paksquash) July 23, 2023

“One racket’s price is Rs40,000. So if one breaks while playing, I don’t have four to five kept spare. Other than that, our diet too,” he mentioned speaking about his needs as a squash player.

Sharing his joy about his win, Khan said he couldn’t believe becoming the world champion. “I called my parents first [after winning].”

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