The lack of investment in sports in Pakistan is poised to create significant setbacks, as reports indicate that the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) may be unable to send a national team to the esteemed British Junior Open next year due to financial constraints. Although registration for the tournament remains open until November 10th, local players are unlikely to receive any financial support from the PSF. However, the governing body has indicated that players are welcome to self-fund their participation.
This funding shortfall is surprising to many, especially considering that the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has allocated around 50 million PKR to the PSF over the past five years, including a substantial 35 million PKR in the 2023-24 fiscal year.
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Historically, Pakistan has had a remarkable record at the British Junior Open, winning the title 13 times across various categories, with the most recent victory occurring in 2020 when Hamza Khan clinched the U-15 final.
This year’s tournament yielded limited success for Pakistan, with players finishing fifth and sixth in the U-13 category thanks to Huzaifa Shahid and Muhammad Sohail Adnan, and a fifth-place finish in the boys’ U-11 category by Muhammad Harmas Ali Raja. The trend of financial difficulties plaguing sports federations in Pakistan has become increasingly common during these challenging times for the nation, with the inability to send any players to the British Junior Open marking a concerning low point.
The British Junior Open, regarded as the second-largest squash tournament globally after the World Junior Squash Championship, is scheduled to take place from January 2nd to January 6th, 2025.
