ISLAMABAD 03 August (Online) Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Hamza Khan, winner of the World Junior Squash Championship, along with his parents at the Prime Minister’s House, Islamabad, on Thursday.
On this occasion, the PM also awarded a cash prize of Rs10 million to Hamza Khan for his impressive achievement.
Hamza thanked the Premier for his gesture while also lauding the support he received from the Pakistan Squash Federation.
PM Shehbaz also spoke to Hamza’s parents, who hail from Peshawar, in Pushto.
“Talented athletes like you [Hamza] are an asset for Pakistan,” said PM Shehbaz. “You have made us proud after winning a prestigious squash event for Pakistan after decades.”
“I have always tried to ensure that athletes in Pakistan get facilities in line with international standards,” he added.
Hamza arrived back home on Tuesday after winning the World Junior Squash Championship in Melbourne, Australia.
Hamza was received by Air Vice Marshal Kazim Hammad, Senior Vice President of the Pakistan Squash Federation, at the Islamabad Airport.
He beat Egypt’s Mohamed Zakaria in the final with a scoreline of 10-12, 14-12, 11-3 and 11-6.
Despite losing the first game, Hamza made a grand comeback to win three on the bounce.
Hamza also became the first player to win the event from Pakistan after Jansher Khan, who clinched the title 37 years ago.
Meanwhile, World Squash Federation (WSF) confirmed on July 28 that they received concern over Hamza’s age from Egyptian Squash Federation (ESF).
In a released statement, WSF said that ESF submitted a request to verify the age of 17-year-old Hamza.
“Prior to all WSF-sanctioned junior events, players must submit their passport and Squash Personal Identification Number (SPIN) to prove identity, nationality and age,
“As the recognised International Federation of the sport, the WSF has a responsibility to fully investigate the request from the Egyptian Squash Federation. There will be no further comment until the investigation is complete,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, an official of Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) has said that the PSF is a professional organisation and it conducts all required tests before sending a player to any age-group event.
“Like any other event, Hamza Khan’s age was medically tested before he was nominated for World Junior Squash Championship,” said Zafaryab Iqbal, secretary of PSF.
“We have all documentary evidences of his age which prove him eligible to play in world junior championship,” he added.
Zafaryab further said that WSF has not formally contacted PSF on the matter and whenever a formal contact will be made, they will reply to it accordingly.
Hamza’s father Niaz Khan confirmed to Geo News that Hamza’s date of birth is 2nd November 2005 and according to that, he is not even 18 years old at this stage.
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