ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Hamza Khan beat Egypt’s Mohamed Zakaria in Melbourne on Sunday to clinch the World Junior Squash Championship title, becoming the first Pakistani to achieve the feat after 37 years.

Pakistan has always been counted among the world’s top squash-playing nations, introducing legendary players of the sport such as Jahangir Khan, Jansher Khan, Azam Khan, and Qamar Zaman to the world. Between themselves, Jansher Khan and Jahangir Khan won the World Squash Open title 14 times for Pakistan during the ‘80s and the ‘90s.

Hamza Khan, 17, became the first Pakistani squash player to qualify for the final of the tournament after Aamir Atlas achieved the feat in 2008. After beating Zakaria, 15, in the final in front of a packed crowd in Melbourne, he became the first person from his country to bag the title after Jansher Khan achieved the same in 1986.

“First of all, I would like to thank Allah, and my thanks to my coaches, my managers, thanks to everybody. And thanks to my parents, who support me every single time. Thank you,” an emotional Khan claimed after winning the title.

Khan beat Zakaria, who would have become the youngest player in history to win the championship, 10-12, 14-12, and 11-3 to clinch the tournament.

 Congratulations poured in for the Peshawar-born Pakistani player, with PTV sports hailing his victory as a “huge achievement.”

President Dr. Arif Alvi recalled Pakistan’s “unprecedented and yet unmatched supremacy in squash” after Khan’s victory.

Khan had qualified for the tournament’s final after beating French player Melvil Scianimanico on Saturday.