ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will stage its largest-ever prize money squash tournament next week as it seeks to revive its historic dominance in the sport, organizers said on Saturday, though Indian players have withdrawn from the event.
The Karachi Open International Squash Tournament, a Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Tour Gold event offering a record $242,000 in prize money, will run from Jan. 6-11 and feature men’s and women’s draws with equal payouts, marking a rare top-tier international competition hosted by Pakistan in recent years.
Squash legend Jahangir Khan, a former world champion and head of the Sindh Squash Association, described the event as “a historic step.”
“We are striving to reclaim Pakistan’s lost dominance in squash,” he told reporters during a news conference.
“The peaceful conduct of this international tournament will project a positive image of Pakistan,” he continued. “Practical steps are needed to unearth new talent. I remain committed to promoting squash globally and am available to serve the sport in Pakistan.”
Leading Indian players withdrew their entries ahead of the tournament, the organizers of the tournament said in a statement, amid limited sports exchanges between the two neighbors due to strained political relations.
“Sports must be kept away from politics,” said Khan. “The top-ranked Indian players should have come to Pakistan for this international event.”
He also welcomed squash’s inclusion in the next Olympics as a positive development.
The men’s draw will be led by Egypt’s world No. 4 Karim Abdel Gawad, with compatriot and world No. 7 Marwan ElShorbagy seeded second. Pakistan will be represented by four players, including world under-23 champion Noor Zaman.
In the women’s event, Egypt’s world No. 4 Amina Orfi is the top seed, followed by Malaysia’s world No. 7 Sivasangari Subramaniam, while two Pakistani players have been awarded wild-card entries by the organizers despite not qualifying through world rankings.
Organizers said they plan to seek an upgrade of the Karachi Open to Platinum status next year, with a proposed prize purse of $1 million.
