Pakistan’s Noor Zaman has confirmed his spot in the 2024-25 PSA World Championships presented by the Walter Family alongside Egypt’s Fayrouz Aboelkheir after winning the U23 World Squash Championships in Karachi this week.
After becoming the first-ever U23 World Champions, Zaman will now feature in the flagship PSA Squash Tour event alongside Aboelkheir, who was already named in the original draw due to her current ranking of World No.14. Aboelkheir’s qualifying spot will now fall to the first reserve for the event.
Zaman, 21, launched a heroic comeback against Egypt’s Kareem El Torkey in the final of the men’s event, sending the capacity crowd at DHA Creek Club into raptures with a stunning reversal from 0-2 down to overcome the 3/4 seed.
Zaman went into the contest with the expectations of a nation upon him as Pakistan hosted its first world championship for 20 years, but managed to stage the most dramatic of victories, eventually taking the match by a 5-11, 12-14, 11-8, 11-5, 11-6 scoreline.
Meanwhile, women’s top seed Aboekheir made lighter work of her opponent in the final, Hong Kong’s Sin Yuk Chan, moving through to take the title after a 12-10, 11-9, 11-6 win.
Both players will now travel to Chicago next month for the PSA World Championships, which takes place between May 9-17 and will be available to watch live on SQUASHTV.
U23 World Squash Championship Men’s Final
[2] Noor Zaman (PAK) bt [3/4] Kareem El Torkey (EGY) 3-2: 5-11, 12-14, 11-8, 11-5, 11-6
U23 World Squash Championship Women’s Final
[1] Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY) bt [3/4] Chan Sin Yuk (HKG) 12-10, 11-9, 11-6
