Pakistan squad leave on 25th

A six-member Pakistan squad will leave for India on July 25 to feature in the inaugural Individual Squash World Junior Championship to be held in Chennai from July 29 to August 3.

The Pakistan squad comprises of four male and two female players who hope to give good performance in the championship.

“This is an individual event and I think our players have the best opportunity to show their mark in a competition which is generally specified for upcoming talent,” said Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) general secretary Shamsul Haq on Friday. He said that due to law and order situation Pakistan itself was unable to organise a major international championship and this tournament would be like a blessing for upcoming Pakistan stars to show their mettle.

This will be the first ever visit by any sports team of Pakistan to India after last year’s Mumbai attacks that strained the relations of the two countries.

Players: Nasir Iqbal, Farhan Zaman, Nosherwan Khan and Aurangzeb Mohmand. Ms Maria Toor Pakey and Ms Zoya Khalid.

Sports Ministry issues NOC

Pakistan's sports ministry has issued no objection certificates (NOC)s to the national squash and table tennis federations to send teams to India for upcoming international events.

Sports minister, Aftab Shah Jillani told newsmen today that the ministry had issued NOCs as it wanted to normalise sporting ties with India.

"Unfortunately while we are looking forward to restoring bilateral sporting ties with India we are not getting the same response from them," Jillani said.

Pakistan and India have frozen bilateral sporting ties since the Mumbai terror attacks last November and while the Indian government refused to send its cricket team to Pakistan early this year the Islamabad also didn't allow its players to take part in the Indian Premier League.

Hockey ties between the two nations were also affected by the tense relations between the two nations since the Mumbai attacks.