Shahjahan Khan qualifies for World Championship 2018-19 after winning Simon Squash Open Canada
Pakistan's foremost squash player Shahjahan Khan booked a spot in the main draw of World Championship 2019, scheduled in Chicago in February by winning the $10k PSA 7th Annual Simon Warder Memorial Prostate Cancer Squash tournament in Canada.
Pakistan’s promising squash player Shahjahan Khan has booked a spot in the main draw of World Championship 2019, scheduled in Chicago in February.
Shahjahan achieved this by winning the $10k PSA 7th Annual Simon Warder Memorial Prostate Cancer Squash tournament in Canada where he beat Henrik Mustonen from Finland in a tough five-game final.
Quetta-born, Khan overcome Mustonen in the first set winning it by 3-2 to take a 1-0 lead but his opponent made a strong comeback in the second set defeating him by 6-11.
Khan then won two consecutive sets by 11-9 and 11-3 respectively to put his counterpart under immense pressure. Mustonen somehow managed to win the fifth set by 3-11 but the last set went in favour of Khan by the score of 11-7.
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In the semi-finals, he stunned top seed Reiko Peter from Switzerland 6-11, 11-4, 11-4, 5-11, 11-5 in 51 minutes. This is Shahjahan’s second PSA title win, but the first since August 2015.
“I hope he will improve his rankings,” said Shahjahan’s father Zarak Jehan Khan, himself a former player.
The 23-year-old, in addition to winning the $11,000 prize fund, has also secured a place in the PSA World Championships and will represent Pakistan in Chicago next year in February.
The players will compete for a prize purse of $1 million. The tournament will feature a 64-player draw.
“My dream is to represent Pakistan at International level and to achieve landmarks for my countries,”‘ he said.
Finding a place in the main round of the world championship was a big achievement for Shahjahan. “He is the first from Pakistan to get this place but I hope other players too will qualify for this championship,” said Zarak.
Shahjahan will also compete in $20,000 DHA Cup, which is scheduled at DA Creek Club in Karachi from November 20-24. Shahjahan is drawn against Ong Sai Hung of Malaysia in the first round of this championship.
He will also feature in $50,000 Pakistan Open, which is scheduled at DA Creek Club from November 28 to December 2. He will compete in $20,000 CNS International Squash Championship, scheduled here at Roshan Khan Squash Complex from December 6-10.
