A Pakistan Squash Federation official was banned for one year on Friday after the sport’s federation found he had brought the game into disrepute. The World Squash Federation (WSF) took the action against PSF secretary Irfan Asgher for levelling allegations against the world body and its Indian president N. Ramachandran.
“The decision of the DAC is to ban Asgher from any involvement in all WSF events for a period of 12 months from 7 October 2011 and to impose a fine of 500 pounds payable within 30 days,” a WSF statement said.
Ashger had alleged in a newspaper interview that Pakistani players could not take part in a world junior championship because the WSF had delayed sending a visa letter to Belgium, where the event was held in July this year.
Asgher also alleged that Ramachandran played a role in preventing Pakistani players from obtaining visas.
But a WSF probe found that Asgher mistakenly sent the visa letter to the German hosts of a seperate men’s championship rather than to Belgium where the youth event was being held.
“Given the confusion caused by forwarding the request to the organisers of another event, the DAC did not accept that there was any fault with the WSF office,” the statement said.
Pakistan, once a dominant force in squash through Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan, has experienced a serious slump in fortunes. Its men’s team finished 22nd out of 32 in the World Team championship in Germany in August this year — their worst ever showing. Jahangir won a record ten British and six world titles, while Jansher won eight world and six British open titles in 1980s and 90s.