Karachi: Pakistan No 1 squash player Aamir Atlas Khan has vowed to shine in high-profile Qatar PSA World Championship, which boast second biggest prize money – USD325,000 in the history of the sport.
Aamir left on Wednesday to compete in the tournament, which will run from 7th to 14th December in Doha where all top squash stars to be seen in action.
“I have been working hard to regain my form after few hiccups in recent tournaments. I believe that I am now in good form for the tough assignment,” Aamir Atlas said before leaving.
Aamir Atlas, ranked 46th in the international circuit is not seeded in the event. He will face a qualifier in the event. However, Aamir said that playing against qualifiers was not that easy as it seems.
“A qualifier qualifies for the main rounds after playing two competitive matches in the qualifying stage. So the qualifiers gain momentum when they play against main round players,” he explained.
But he added that he was not only looking for the qualifier’s scalp but also that of some top seeded players. If Aamir overcomes his first round opponent, he is then expected to meet Egyptian World No 8 and seventh seed Amr Shabana, who also faces a qualifier in the first round.
Aamir said that he was not daunted by the tough opposition in the tournament and said that he would go all out to play impressively.
Players from 21 countries will contest the 64man main draw, with a further 11 nations represented in the qualifying competition.
Formerly known as the ‘World Open’, the world championship will be hosted by Qatar for the third time, following stagings in 1998 and 2004.