Jansher Khan greets AVM Aamir Masood for his election as SVP PSF

By Ijaz Ahmad
PESHAWAR, : Ex Squash World Champion Jansher Khan Wednesday greeted Air Vice Marshal Aamir Masood on his election as new Senior Vice President of the Pakistan Squash Federation in a meeting held recently.
In his felicitation message Jansher Khan said: “I am happy with the fact that PSF Senior Vice President are himself an athlete and used to play squash. AVM Aamir Masood knew much about squash and it is good to play his role hands in hands for the improvement of the squash in Pakistan.”
“I am happy the way he takes personal interest in the activities of squash in the past and now being Senior Vice President certainly he has a due role to take key steps for the promotion of squash by bring back lost glories,” Jansher said while talking to APP here.
It is good signal as far as promotion of squash is concerned, Jansher Khan said, adding with the patronage of new PSF Senior Vice President Air Vice Marshal Aamir Masood there will put good impact on Pakistan Squash and Pakistan Squash will gain their lost glory in the world once again.
Jansher also commended efforts of the outgoing Senior Vice President Air Marshal Shahid Alvi for his dedicated efforts during his tenure and expressed the hope that after the election of AVM Aamir Masood Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) would take key steps for the resuming of record senior international tournaments in 2019 in the country once again.
Jansher Khan said that Pakistan Squash Federation is the only Federation in the world who manage record senior tournaments, which is good news for Pakistan squash. Jansher Khan further added that PSF should reassure holding of junior international tournaments along with senior international tournaments by resuming junior international squash in the country which would automatically lead towards flourishing Pakistan Squash in a better direction and new talent will also be coming up.
The record holder of World Open individual tournament, Jansher Khan suggested that if more attention is paid to grass roots level, it will help in flourishing squash in the country. Former World Champion also suggested that Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) should pay more attention to Junior National Academies as compared to Senior Academies, investing on junior players can prove productive for Pakistan Squash Federation.
Leading the world of squash for 10 years Jansher Khan said that our senior and junior players are very talented but they are not use to hard training, which is a key and vital for them to be among top players of the world.
“Due to hard training we can regain our lost prestige and for this purpose squash federation should pay special attention on the physical training of junior players,” Jansher said, adding “Every year the grant of Rs. 3.5 million given by government to PSF is a peanuts and the rest of Rs. 100 million provided by Pakistan Air Force from own budgets just to uphill the task of promoting Pakistan squash.”
PAF is the back bone of squash in Pakistan and if Pakistan Squash Federation was not in the hand of Pakistan Air Force than Pakistan squash will be similar like currently hockey is suffering.
Four times Super Series record holder Jansher Khan further added that it is quite mournful and disappointing to see the poor condition of squash in Pakistan, a country which ruled the world of squash for 40 years.
“There was a time that a country like India which could not be seen in top 50 teams during our flourishing times and currently it is quite disappointing to learn that Indian players have proved their worth among top 15 players while our players have no such performance even in top 80,” he remarked.
“Nevertheless, the facilities provided to the players by the Pakistan Squash federation are matchless as compared to our times because there were no such facilities provided to us in our time,” he said, adding, “hard work and hard work is the key to success.”
Ex-World Squash Champion, Jansher said that PSF must adopt toughest measures for resuming Pakistan Squash in the whole world and for that purpose there should be pertinent planning to be envisaged otherwise the game of squash will be completely annihilated from the country.
Jansher Khan paid tribute to Pakistan armed forces and Pakistan civil forces and termed it a very commendable during last 40-years for squash in Pakistan. “Before me it was thirty years and then for 10-year, I kept hoisted the national flag in every nook and corner of the world,” Jansher concluded.