Pakistan's Noor Zaman revives family legacy with epic Under-23 world squash championship comeback
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The 21-year-old faced a moment of truth in front of a roaring home crowd and decided he could not lose the world championship Pakistan was hosting for the first time in 30 years and what followed was an epic comeback from Zaman to beat Egypt's Karim El Turky 3-2.
His victory was not just a personal milestone but a symbolic moment for Pakistani squash, a sport once dominated by legends like Jahangir Khan, Jansher Khan, and Zaman's own grandfather, Qamar Zaman.
'When I got 2-0 down, only one thing was coming to my mind that 'a world championship is being held in Pakistan after three decades, the whole crowd is sitting here to support me, if I lose, I will regret it a lot',' Zaman recalled.
'I thought to myself that 'all the hard work I have done in the past three, four months to prepare for this tournament, I should go to the court and fight for every single point.' Thank God, I fought for every point and Allah made me the world champion.'
Zaman, who hails from the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, says for him, squash was more of an obligation than a passion.
'When I was young, I used to be taken for playing squash [by my grandfather]. I was not as passionate in childhood,' he said.
But with time, the sport became his calling.
Zaman's ascent began with two consecutive Asian Junior Championship titles last year, followed by a silver medal at the Asian Games after graduating to the senior category.
The Under-23 World Squash Championship saw participation from 32 countries, with Zaman defeating opponents from Kuwait, Poland, France, and Malaysia on his path to the final. Zaman defeated 3-0 the players he had narrowly contested against as a junior, which was a testament to his growing dominance in the game.
His final opponent, Egypt's El Turky, pushed him to the limit, but Zaman staged a spirited comeback, cheered on by an electrifying crowd in Karachi.
But there has hardly been any official recognition of Zaman's feat.
'Everyone congratulated me — government officials, seniors, everyone — but no one has yet invited me for any honors,' he shared.
The 21-year-old remains grounded, driven by the legacy of his grandfather who continues to nurture talent in Peshawar by organizing regular tournaments.
'This is our family game and all the players emerging from Peshawar are emerging because of him, because of his support,' Noor said.
'He organizes 2-3 tournaments every month, which gives motivation to kids and they improve further.'
Zaman's victory in the Under-23 championship has earned him a direct wildcard entry to next month's Senior World Championship in Chicago.
The young Pakistani squash star is hopeful of not just carrying forward his family's legacy, but also helping his country reclaim its former glory in the sport.
'God willing, now, I am going to play the Senior World Championship, [and] the goal is to become the Senior World Champion,' he said.
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