ISLAMABAD, Jan 24: The Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) has moved the seniors training camp from Karachi to Islamabad and cut down its strength to four players.

Sqd. Ldr. Sajid Waheed, secretary of the PSF said Thursday that the number of players had to be reduced on the request of new coach Mohammad Yasin.

“Yasin wanted that instead of eight players, he be given four so that he could focus on fewer individuals to achieve results.”

Now Amjad Khan, Shahid Zaman, Farrukh Zaman and Shams Kakar are training under the watchful eyes of Yasin at the PAF courts in Islamabad.

Mansoor Zaman, who is currently playing in America, would join the camp once he returns in a month’s time, Sajid said. His arrival would mean that Shams may have to drop out. “We will decide on his fate once Mansoor returns.”

The players who have already been asked to leave are Ijaz Azmat, Mohammad Ilyas and Zubair Ali Khan. “They have been sent back because overall their performance was not impressive.”

Amjad, one of the four players in the camp, is reportedly not 100 percent fit and is said to have put on weight during the time he had been nursing a hamstring injury.

“We do not want to lose him, he is indeed a talented player, but he will have to strive to be fully fit in order to make a mark on the international stage again.”

Citing reasons for shifting the camp to Islamabad, Sajid said that this had been done because of administrative problems. “The camp in Karachi was proving to be out of our reach, therefore we decided to bring it here.”

“Now the camp venue is close to the PSF offices and we can monitor it from here besides also ironing out any problems that might crop up.”

Sajid said that coach Yasin, who took over from January 1, was focussing on this March’s Pakistan Open in Lahore and the British Open the following month. “These are two of our short term targets.”

The camp for juniors meanwhile is continuing at the Pakistan Sports Complex where Rehmat Khan is the coach.

The junior players came out with flying colours in the recent Scottish and British Opens in what was their first big test.

In Edinburgh Yasir Butt claimed the under-15 crown beating team-mate Farhan Mahboob in the final while Safeer Khan defeated another Pakistani Khalid Atlas in the under-17 category. Majid Khan took the under-19 honours edging out Imran Mohib in the decider.

The boys kept up the good work in the British Open where Farhan Mahboob claimed the under-15 title with Safeer Khan capturing the top under-17 prize. Majid, however had to be content with third position in the under-19 competition.

This splendid showing has encouraged the PSF who now plan to pick another 10 to 15 players. “The CAS Open for juniors starting Saturday in Peshawar will provide us a good ground for talent hunt.”