KARACHI:
Pakistan will host four consecutive international squash tournaments following the ongoing Asian Team Squash Championships in Islamabad, with total prize money of $439,000 on offer across the events.
The tournaments, featuring leading men’s and women’s players from around the world, are expected to provide a boost to squash in Pakistan, offering local players opportunities to compete against international opposition while strengthening the country’s profile as a sporting destination.
Three of the four Professional Squash Association (PSA) events will be held in Karachi, while Islamabad will host the opening tournament.
The schedule begins with the Chief of Air Staff International Squash Championship, a $40,000 men’s silver-level event, which will take place in Islamabad from November 24 to 28.
Pakistan’s Noor Zaman, who has climbed three places to 25th in the latest world rankings after winning the World Under-23 Championship, will be the top seed. Fellow Pakistani Ashab Irfan, who has improved seven places in the rankings, is seeded fourth.
Mohammad Asim Khan, ranked 68th in the world, has been seeded seventh, while Pakistan’s Nasir Iqbal will also feature in the competition.
Karachi will then host three international tournaments offering a combined $399,000 in prize money.
The Chief of Naval Staff Squash Championship, an $18,000 event, will be held from December 1 to 5 at the PN Roshan Khan-Jahangir Khan Squash Complex. The tournament will also include a women’s PSA event carrying $1,000 in prize money.
The action will move to the Creek Club for the Sindh Open International Squash Championship, scheduled for December 6 to 10.
Pakistan’s Noor Zaman will be the country’s sole representative in the men’s draw, where world number 17 Youssef Soliman of Egypt is the top seed.
In the women’s competition, Egypt’s world number 14 Salma Hany will lead the field, with compatriot and world number 19 Nada Abbas seeded second.
The $130,000 tournament will offer equal prize money in the men’s and women’s competitions.
The series of events will conclude with the Karachi Open, a Gold-level championship scheduled for January 5 to 10, 2027, featuring a total prize purse of $250,000.
The men’s competition will offer $125,000, with an equal amount distributed among the 32 players in the women’s draw.