Pakistan’s Hamza Khan won the World Junior Squash Championship 2023 on Sunday after beating Egypt’s Mohamed Zakaria, becoming the country’s first champion since 1986.
Hamza beat Zakaria 3-1 during the tournament that was held in Melbourne, Australia.
According to PTV Sports, the last time a Pakistani made the finals was Amir Atlas in 2008, and the last winner from Pakistan was Jansher Khan in 1986.
🎙 "Pakistani Squash is back!"
Here's the moment 🇵🇰 Hamza Khan ended Pakistan's 37-year wait for a WSF World Junior Squash Champion title 🏆#WSFjuniors @paksquash @squashAUS pic.twitter.com/h7K50hAVjH
— World Squash (@WorldSquash) July 23, 2023
Reacting to his win, Hamza — who had won the U-15 title at the British Junior Open Squash Championship in 2020 — thanked his coach, his managers, and his parents for their support.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the winning athlete for making country’s name proud at the international level.
