Pakistani squash talent Noor Zaman has made it to the main draw of the prestigious British Open in Birmingham, becoming the first Pakistani in two decades to achieve this milestone.
Zaman secured his spot by defeating Egypt’s Kareem El Torkey 3-1 in a 46-minute qualifier held at the Solihull Arden Club. This marks their second high-stakes encounter within a month, the first being Zaman’s dramatic win at the U23 World Championship final, where he came back from behind to clinch the title on home soil.
In the latest match, Zaman started strong, winning the first two games 11-5 and 11-8. El Torkey fought back to take the third set 11-3, but Zaman regrouped and edged out the fourth game 11-7 to seal the match.
“Alhamdulillah, after 20 years, I have qualified for the main round of the British Open. I’m the first Pakistani to do so,” Zaman posted on X, celebrating his achievement.
According to tournament organizers, Zaman showed sharp form both at the front and back of the court, demonstrating composure and control despite a brief momentum shift in the third game.
Ranked 44th in the world and third nationally in Pakistan as of May 1, Zaman will now face England’s Curtis Malik on June 1 in the main draw, which begins May 31. Other qualifiers from the final round included Emyr Evans (Wales), Moustafa Elsirty (Egypt), and Dewald van Niekerk (South Africa).
The British Open, a high-profile Diamond-level event on the PSA World Tour, offers an equal prize purse of $348,500 for both men’s and women’s competitions.
