Champion’s Welcome Hamza Khan Receives Warm Reception After World Junior Squash Championship Triumph
ISLAMABAD: Hamza Khan, the Pakistani squash prodigy, was given a warm welcome at Islamabad Airport after his historic win in the World Junior Squash Championship held in Melbourne, Australia last month.
Air Vice Marshal Kazim Hammad, Senior Vice President of the Pakistan Squash Federation, greeted the young squash hero upon his homecoming after achieving the remarkable feat.
In the final match of the grand tournament, the teenage athlete defeated Egypt’s Mohamed Zakaria with a scoreline of 10-12, 14-12, 11-3, and 11-6.
Despite losing the first game, Hamza made a remarkable comeback, winning three consecutive games. His achievement is significant as he became the first Pakistani player to claim the title since Jansher Khan, who achieved the feat 37 years ago.
However, on July 28, the World Squash Federation (WSF) confirmed receiving concern over Hamza’s age from the 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,” the statement read.
“As the recognized 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.”
An official of the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) clarified that the PSF is a professional organization and 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 the World Junior Squash Championship,” said Zafaryab Iqbal, secretary of PSF.
“We have all documentary evidence of his age, which proves him eligible to play in the world junior championship,” he added.
Zafaryab further stated that WSF has not formally contacted PSF on the matter, and whenever a formal contact is made, they will respond accordingly.
Hamza’s father Niaz Khan confirmed to Geo News that Hamza’s date of birth is November 2, 2005, and according to that, he is not even 18 years old at this stage.
