KARACHI, Sept 10: Top 16 players will be featuring in the final rounds of Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Squash International Championship being held at Roshan Khan/ Jahangir Khan Squash Complex from Sept 18-22.

The first stage of the event, the pre-qualifying will be played on Sept 14, 15 and qualifying rounds will be contested on Sept 16, 17. Four top finishers from qualifying round will advance into the final rounds to complete the draw of 16.

Karim Derwesh of Egypt, who defeated compatriot in the final last year is not taking part in the event after he was elevated among the top ten players in the world.

Only three Pakistanis Mansoor Zaman Khan, Shahid Zaman and wild-card entry Majid Khan are placed directly in the main draw.

Other foreign players placed directly in main draw included: Adrian Grant (England) Benan Levinge (France), Muhammad Ababs (Egypt), Nick Mathew (England), Omar Elborossy (Egypt), Stephen Meads (England), David Evans (Wales) and Weal Al Hindi (Egypt).

France’s Gregory Gaultier has been top seeded for the event.

Details of the event were unveiled at a news conference by Commodore M.B. Chaudhry, Patron Pakistan Navy Squash. Former British open champion Roshan Khan was also present on the occasion.

Pakistan players appearing in the qualifying round are: Farrukh Zaman, Aijaz Azmat, Arshad Iqbal Burki and Shams Islam Khan.

Foreign players who have entered the qualifying stage are: Hisham Muhammad Ashour (Egypt), Larens Anjema (Netherlands), Liam Kenny (Ireland), Gleen Keenan (Australia) Peter Barker

(England), Jan Koukal (Czeck), Peter Pastjin (Belgium) and Alistar Walker (England).

All the foreign players will be lodged at Hotel Pearl Continental while local players will placed at guest houses at PN Karsaz.

Contract jobs

ISLAMABAD: Thirty squash players of the country have been employed on contract basis by different departments through the efforts of Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF).

The induction of national team squash championship in the national squash calendar gave impetus to the employment of players by departments like PIA, Pakistan Army, Mari Gas Company, PSO, etc.

Top-notch squash players have been employed by the above departments with national flag carrier PIA heading the list. PIA has also agreed to sponsor the travel of national teams competing in the team championships abroad.

Bank Alfalah Ltd. will sponsor Pakistan Open Squash Championship for the next three years with each annual edition of the tournament carrying a prize money of US$100,000.

Prior to National Team Squash Championship, all the players were financed by PSF. Now the things have changed with the induction of this tournament.

The following are the players being employed on contract basis by departments.

Mansoor Zaman, Shahid Zaman, Arshad Iqbal Burki (PIA), Zubair Ali Khan, Khalid Atlas, Asghar Khan and Majeed Hussain (Pakistan Army), Naveed Atlas, Safeerullah Khan, Farhan Mehboob (PAF), Farrukh Zaman, Khayal Muhammad, Saeed Hassan and Shah Nawaz (Mari Gas Company), Yasir Butt, Rizwan Ahmed, Aqib Hanif, Alamzeb Jr., Amir Atlas (PSO), Faisal Sarwar, Muhammad Naveed, Adeel Hanif, Salahuddin (Pakistan Railways), Majid Khan, Basit Ashfaq, Waseem Shad (CAA), Asghar Khan, Zahid Naseer, Ali Ayub, Atiq-ur-Rehman (HEC).—APP