Hamza Khan
| Photo Credit: K. Keerthivasan
As the defending champion, Pakistan is the favourite to win the boys’ crown in the ongoing Asian junior team squash championships here. And the star player of the team is Hamza Khan, the reigning World juniors bronze medallist.
The 17-year-old is excited to be in the city as he made a lot of friends on his last visit here in 2018 for the Asian junior (u-15) championships. “Many Indian players are my friends. I love Chennai,” he told The Hindu here on Wednesday.
Hamza comes from a squash family. He trains in Quetta (Pakistan), coached by his uncle Jamshed Gul, and for four months every year, he trains in Boston with another uncle Shahid Zaman. Hamza’s father Niazullah is a former university player.
Hamza is very eager to win the World juniors having had to settle for third place the last time. “I have two more championships left. I will definitely win the crown,” he said.
But his focus is on the Asian junior teams. “We want to see a Pakistan versus India final,” said the U.S. Open (u-19) and British Open (u-15) junior champion.
There is lots of hope that Hamaz would bring back the lost glory of squash in Pakistan. And the boy looks the part.