Lack of investment in Pakistani sports is likely to bite the country once again with reports emerging that the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) will be unable to field a national contingent in the prestigious British Junior Open next year due to lack of funds.
The registrations for the tournament are set to remain open until November 10th but local players are not expected to receive any monetary help from PSF. However, the governing body is not opposed to self-funded participation from the players.
Their lack of funds come as a surprise to many as record show that Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has paid PSF approximately 50 million PKR in funds over the past five years, including 35 million PKR in the 2023-24 fiscal year.
Pakistan boasts a fulgurant record at the British Junior Open having won the title 13 times across all categories with its last win coming in 2020 when Hamza Khan won the U-15 final.
This year’s competition yielded few positives for Pakistan with a fifth and sixth-place finish in the U-13 category courtesy of Huzaifa Shahid and Muhammad Sohail Adnan and a fifth-place finish in the boys U-11 category courtesy of Muhammad Harmas Ali Raja.
Sports federations in Pakistan suffering from financial strain have become a new norm in trying times for the whole country. This includes almost every name other than cricket but not being able to send a single player for participation may be the new low this time.
British Junior Open is considered the second biggest squash tournament in the world behind World Junior Squash Championship. It will take place from January 2nd to January 6th 2025.
