The sponsorship of Egyptian prodigy Mohamed Zakaria by a multinational company owned by the vice-president of the Pakistan Squash Federation has drawn stinging criticism and anger from the Pakistani squash community.
Alexandria-born Zakaria won the World Junior Championships for the second time last week. He is the only teenager in the top 100 of the PSA rankings and has already broken multiple all-time squash records at the tender age of 17.
In a ceremony in Karachi featuring Zakaria, the great Jahangir Khan and other dignitaries, a five-year sponsorship deal worth $50,000 was announced by food company Rich’s Venus to support the precocious teenager’s future squash career.
Rich’s Venus is part of the Venus Group run by CEO Adnan Asad, who is vice-president of the Pakistan Squash Federation and president of the Sind Squash Association (the region in south-east Pakistan which includes the city of Karachi).
The Venus Group operates in Pakistan, USA, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and UAE and manufactures desserts, creams, ice cream, tissue products, paper cups and jams. It is also the exclusive logistics partner of McDonald’s in Pakistan.
Rich’s Venus’s deal with Zakaria has been strongly criticised in Pakistan, as many of the nation’s own young players continue to complain about lack of funding from the federation and few sponsorship opportunities to support their careers.
One of those critics is the legendary Qamar Zaman, who, like Asad, is also a vice-president of the Pakistan Squash Federation.
Zaman revealed to Squash Player that he hasn’t spoken to his fellow Board member about the Zakaria sponsorship deal, but the 1975 British Open champion thinks the money would have been better spent supporting home-grown talent.
Zaman said: “As the CEO of the company, Mr Asad can sponsor whoever he likes, of course. That is his decision. But as a vice-president of the Pakistani Squash Federation, he is bound to look after his own players.
“There are boys and girls in his own country who are playing well and deserve this support. Noor Zaman, Hamza Khan, Muhammad Ashab Irfan… They want to compete around the world but [aeroplane] tickets are too costly.
“In Pakistan, 90% of people in the squash community are annoyed about this. They are asking why he is not supporting our players. Pakistan Squash Federation are supporting a lot of young players very well, but there are many players who could have done a lot with this kind of sponsorship. This is my honest opinion.”
Qamar ZamanIn a lengthy, heartfelt and powerful post on social media, former Pakistan and Asian champion Shahid Zaman Khan said reading the news of Zakaria’s sponsorship “broke something inside me.”
Detailing his own humble beginnings in the city of Quetta, the sudden loss of a sponsorship deal with Pakistan International Airlines which had allowed him to travel and compete, and the lack of “a system to hold me up”, the 42-year-old lamented the dearth of support shown to him and the next generation.
He wrote: “My heart is still broken. Not for me — I’ve lived my journey. I hurt for the new generation: Hamza Khan, Noor Zaman, and all the brilliant young players fighting the same silent war I once did.
“How can we expect them to reach the top of the world without support? Why do we reward foreign players while our own children wait in shadows for a miracle that may never come?
“And most painful of all — why do some of our former champions sit quietly as this happens in front of them? Silence from those who once walked our path is the deepest betrayal of all.”
The post continued: “I don’t want Hamza or Noor to walk away from this country like I once did. I don’t want another generation to leave their homeland in search of respect.
We must do better. We must stand by our own — not when they win, but when they struggle. Not when the world applauds, but when they need help most.”
The sponsorship deal for Zakaria comes amid strong rumours that the world no.14 is set to change nationality from Egypt to Qatar in the run-up to the LA Olympics in 2028. He has trained extensively at the Aspire Academy in Qatar under its head coach, the former world no.1 Jonathon Power.
At his sponsorship announcement in Karachi, Zakaria was presented with a racket signed by Jahangir Khan. Speaking to assembled media, Rich’s Venus CEO Mr. Asad said the deal sends a strong message to Pakistani players that rewards are there if they put in the work and rise up the rankings through their performances and results.
“We are honoured to welcome Zakaria into the Rich’s Venus Pakistan family,” said Adnan. “He is an explosive talent and a role model for the next generation of Pakistani squash players.”
Zakaria himself said: “It’s a special moment for me to sign with Rich’s Venus Pakistan. I’m grateful to Mr. Adnan Asad and the people of Karachi for the love and respect I’ve received. To be recognised by Jahangir Khan, the greatest squash player of all time, is truly humbling.”
