Pakistan’s rising squash star, Noor Zaman, won the final of the inaugural WSF World U23 Squash Championships on Thursday after he registered a stellar comeback against Egypt’s Kareem El Torkey.
Zaman was facing a slump with a score of 2-0 but soon he gained momentum and dominated the next three sets of the five-set game, winning the title by 3-2.
Talking after winning the title, Zaman said after being two points down, his only thought was “to focus on my game”.
“I had it in my mind to fight till the very end,” he added.
The second-seeded Zaman faced Torkey in the final after defeating Malaysia’s Ameeshenraj Chandaran on Wednesday at Karachi’s DHA Creek Club in the semi-final stage of the event.
Zaman was already two games up when his opponent retired from the game.
“The crowd support has been incredible and I’ll give everything to win this title for Pakistan,” said Zaman after the semi-final.
‘Global recognition for Pakistan’
Zaman’s outstanding performance in the tournament earned him felicitations from the country’s top leadership including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari.
Congratulating the entire nation on Zaman’s success, the PM stated: “Noor Zaman has brought global recognition to Pakistan through his performance”.
“The whole nation is proud of Noor Zaman, says Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif,” he added.
The premier expressed hope for Pakistan’s future in squash, saying the country will “regain its lost glory in the field of squash”.
On the other hand, the president remarked that Zaman displayed “outstanding performance in the championship, including the final” and has brought “pride to Pakistan in the sport of squash”.
“I am hopeful for Noor Zaman’s continued success in the future,” said Zardari and prayed for Zaman’s future achievements.
