According to a news report on Monday, Pakistan was compelled to withdraw its players from the US Open Junior Squash Championship due to concerns about their age in an age-group competition, as the organizers rejected their age verification procedure.
According to sources cited by Telecom Asia Sport (www.telecomasia.net), Pakistan withdrew its players from the 2025 U.S. Junior Open, the biggest individual squash competition in the world, after the US Open organizers rejected their age verification. Approximately 977 players from 45 countries are participating.
“The US Squash created a new guideline to facilitate participation while maintaining competitive integrity. Affected players were only allowed to compete in the age category in which they are ranked nationally and/or most recently participated in their National Championships where there was a legitimate concern, organizers informed Telecomasia.net.
“All impacted athletes were still able to compete, and no player was penalized or suspended. Age-category modifications do not alter World Squash Federation (WSF) rules; rather, they were implemented only to provide equity for all competitors.
Amir Nawaz, secretary of the Pakistan Squash Federation, told www.telecomasia.net that anything that deviates from the nation’s procedures is unacceptable.
According to Telecom Asia Sport, Nawaz stated, “It is not that our players were overaged and withdrawn.” “They objected to one of our players, but they rejected our duly signed documents and procedure.
However, our executive committee determined that we would not take part in the event because they contested our method, which goes against our integrity. Nawaz stated, “It was unacceptable that they promoted our players in age groups rather than banning them.”
Fairness, according to the organizers, was crucial. “In regional, national, and international championships, US Squash is totally dedicated to athlete welfare, fairness, and openness. Concerns over the age eligibility of a few foreign junior players were voiced in the run-up to the 2025 U.S. Junior Open. Documentation, domestic competition records, and global ranking trends that indicated possible disparities in stated ages served as the foundation for these worries.
The investigation found system-level issues that, in certain situations, made it impossible to establish chronological age with certainty. These included the potential for conflicting or duplicate documentation, delays in birth registration, and patterns of domestic competition that did not match reported ages. A representative for the organizers was cited in the study as saying, “It is important to note that this review did not reflect on the character, integrity, or intentions of any individual athlete, family, or federation.”
PSF stated that it will eventually bring up the issue with the World Squash Federation.
When Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan dominated the international squash scene in the latter three decades of the previous century, Pakistan was a dominant force. However, since the two Khans departed, Pakistan has not won any senior events.
However, with Hamza Khan’s 2023 Junior World title—Pakistan’s first since 1986—the nation is making a comeback on the international scene. Earlier this year, Noor Zaman won the Under-23 championship as well.
However, the country’s poorly maintained birth records in rural areas constitute a disadvantage due to the overage slur.
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