Pakistan’s youngster Abdul Aahad impressed one and all after clinching the trophy in the U15 category of the 16th Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) International Squash Championship in Karachi.
The event was held at the Pakistan Navy Roshan Khan Jahangir Khan (PN RKJK) Squash Complex.
Aahad beat Kamran Khan 3-0 in a one-sided final to bag the top prize in the U15 event.
The 14-year-old hails from Karachi and is keen on making Pakistan proud at the international level in the future.
"I would like to dedicate this award to my parents, friends and all the supporters who have supported me throughout," Aahad said after winning his first national championship.
"I would like to thank my main sponsor Pakistan Navy for their unwavering commitment to make me a better athlete," he added.
Aahad confirmed that, after winning the title in Karachi, he will shift his focus to the upcoming national tournaments in Peshawar and Lahore.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Zakaria of Egypt won the championship by defeating Nasir Iqbal by 3-1 in the final.
Nasir started well by winning the first game 13-11. However, Zakaria made a comeback and won three consecutive games to clinch the match.
The Egyptian player tied the match at 1-1 by winning the second game 11-4. He then took the 2-1 lead by winning the third game 11-5. Zakaria sealed the victory by winning the fourth and final game 11-7.
Zakaria, the winner, received a trophy and $3,850 in prize money, while the runner-up Nasir Iqbal received $1,938.
The Chief of the Naval Staff of Pakistan, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, was the guest of honour in the final match and distributed cash prizes to the winner and the runner-up.
Ashraf also gave a speech at the event saying that the Pakistan Navy is not only defending the country but also playing a role in promoting sports.
The tournament began on May 8th with the final held on May 12th, Sunday.