Pakistan’s Young Squash Stars Clinch Gold at International Championship

Two young squash players from Peshawar have won gold medals at the Asian Junior Squash Championship in China, giving Pakistan a major boost in its efforts to revive the sport.

Ahmad Rayan Khalil secured the Under-15 title after a dominant 3-0 win over Malaysia’s Vedoran Rotheran in the final.

Pakistan’s second gold came in the Under-17 category, where Nauman Khan defeated India’s Shiven Agarwal in straight games to become the Asian Under-17 champion.

The twin victories ended Pakistan’s long title drought on the Asian junior squash circuit and highlighted the growing impact of grassroots squash development in Peshawar.

Former world champion Qamar Zaman and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Squash Association President Dawood Khan praised the young players, calling their success a major step forward for Pakistani squash.

Dawood Khan said the association had continued to organize monthly tournaments despite limited resources to ensure that young players receive regular competitive exposure.

“These victories reflect the hard work and commitment of our young athletes and coaches,” he said, adding that both players have the potential to achieve further success at the international level.

Qamar Zaman also described the wins by Ahmad Rayan Khalil and Nauman Khan as a positive sign for the future of squash in Pakistan. He said the results showed that grassroots training programs in Peshawar were producing strong results.

He urged the provincial government to increase support for the sport, noting that the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Squash Association had not received its annual grant for the past six years.

“Despite financial constraints, producing two Asian champions is nothing short of remarkable,” he said, while reaffirming the association’s commitment to developing young squash talent.