Sports Bulletin Report
KARACHI: The first Under-23 World Squash Championship 2025 will roll into action on Sunday (April 6) at DHA Squash Courts Karachi, as the World No. 61 Ibrahim Elkabbani top seed player of the first international U23 lads.
Noor Zaman represents the hosts best hope, with the 20-year-old Peshawari – grandson of the legendary Qamar Zaman – the tournament’s second seed and drawn against Kuwait’s Hussain Alzaatari in round one.
Also representing Pakistan in Karachi are 2023 World Junior Champion Hamza Khan, who plays Spain’s Hugo Lafuente Jaen in round one, and Muhammad Ammad, who has been drawn against fourth seed Mohammed Naseer.
Khan is one of two former world champions in the men’s draw, with the 19-year-old joined by the Netherlands’ Rowan Damming. Damming, World Junior Champion in 2022, is seventh seed and will face Malta’s Kijan Sultana in round one.
In the women’s event, World No. 13 Fayrouz Aboelkheir top seed female 19-year-old receiving a bye through to round two and set to play the winner of the round one clash between Spain’s Noa Romero Blazquez and Pakistan’s Mariam Malik. Aboelkheir is one of two Egyptians in the women’s draw and, should the tournament go to seedings, the Alexandrian will take on second seed Malak Khafagy in an all-Egyptian final.
Hoping to spoil the party will be Malaysian third seed Aira Azman, a silver medal winner at the 2023 World Junior Championships, and fourth seed Chan Sin Yuk of Hong Kong,. Chan is joined by two compatriots in the top eight seeds, with Heylie Fung seeded fifth and Toby Tse seeded eighth.
Completing the seedings are Japan No. 2 Akari Midorikawa, who has been seeded sixth, and seventh seed Xin Ying Yee of Malaysia. Also in action for the hosts are Sana Bahadar and Amna Fayyaz, with Bahadar up against Czechia’s Tamara Holzbauerová and Fayyaz taking on Japan’s Kurumi Takahashi.
