The five-day tournament, which began on August 24, brought together leading professional squash players from 11 countries. In Friday’s (August 28) final, Ziad Ibrahim produced a dominant performance to defeat Ravindra Lakshisri 3-0 and claim the championship title.
Major General Md Hasan-Uz-Zaman, NDU, AFWC, PSC, MPhil, Engineer-in-Chief of the Bangladesh Army, presented trophies, medals and prize money to the winners as the chief guest.
Tournament promoter Brigadier General GM Kamrul Islam, SPP (Retd), members of the executive committee, Bashundhara Sports City’s Senior Executive Director Colonel Mahasinul Karim, senior officials, invited guests, local and international players and journalists were also present at the closing ceremony.
The programme began with the distribution of Squash and Education Scholarships, followed by recognition of outstanding secondary-level squash players and the distribution of sports equipment among young squash players.
In the main prize-giving ceremony, Bangladesh’s top-performing young talent Parvez Karim was honoured first. Egypt’s Mohamed Gohar, ranked 95th in the world, received the second runner-up prize, while Iran’s Sepehr Etemadpour, ranked 566th, was awarded the first runner-up prize. Ravindra Lakshisri received the runner-up award, while champion Ziad Ibrahim was presented with the championship trophy and prize money.
Organisers said initiatives such as Classroom Squash, programmes promoting sports and leadership development, and the Squash and Education Scholarship have begun producing visible results.
They said the international tournament not only provided Bangladeshi players with valuable ranking points and international experience but also helped establish Bangladesh as a promising destination for squash.
According to the organisers, squash has made significant progress in Bangladesh over the past five years after a period of decline, with local players already beginning to win medals on the international stage.
They also expressed their ambition to see squash represented at the 2032 Olympic Games, stressing the need for further infrastructure development and collective efforts to take the sport to a higher level.
The tournament concluded with a commitment to continue developing squash in Bangladesh and creating more opportunities for local players to compete on the international stage.
