PESHAWAR: To pay rich tribute to legend and former world champion Qamar Zaman, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa male and female squash teams dedicated their awards of the Quaid-i-Azam National Youth Games to the ex-player.

Speaking on this occasion, Qamar lauding the performance of the players said the KP team consisting of U-14 players including Komal, Laiba Ijaz, Kainat and Maria is a talented one which won bronze medal.

He said, “Although I have won more than 100 titles at the world level but the players dedicating their awards to me is a memorable occasion for me.”

Qamar advised the players to continue hard work. He promised the players that he would talk to PSF president to hold a national camp for junior female players in Peshawar so that they could be trained under qualified individuals.

The camp would be for two to three months, he added.

Director Operation KP Sports Board Tariq Mehmood praised the KP male and female teams for giving stunning performances in the recently concluded inaugural Quaid-i-Azam National Youth Games. He also said that a request would be forwarded to the government for announcing cash incentives for the medal winners.

Meanwhile, Amjad Aziz Malik said that despite no trials and camping, the players of KP fared outstandingly in the Games by taking second position overall. KP came second at the Games by securing 20 gold, 17 silver and 41 bronze medals.

Besides Qamar, vice-president of the POA and former sports minister Syed Aqil Shah, former World No. 2 Mohibullah, PSB coaches Pervez Ali, Shehzad Mohib, members of the KP female squash team comprising Komal Khan, Laiba Ijaz, Kainat Khan and Maria Khan, manager Nargis Ijaz and male team coach Shakeel Khan, Asghar Khan as well as international athletics coach Syed Jaffar Shah were also present on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2016