The official journey of the ‘1st CAS International Squash 2026’ began on Monday with the unveiling of the tournament trophy at the auditorium of the Olympic Building in Dhaka. The hall was filled with familiar faces from the sporting community, and the applause during the unveiling reflected renewed confidence and expectation around the return of international squash to Bangladesh after a long gap.
The international tournament will start on 2 January at the Army Squash Complex inside Dhaka Cantonment. A total of 24 world-ranked professional players from ten countries will compete, including India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Bahrain, Japan, Egypt, Belgium and Bangladesh.
For the first time, the event is being organised under the direct patronage of the Chief of Army Staff. Several well-known world-ranked players are set to participate, underlining the quality of the competition. Among them are India’s Velavan Senthilkumar, ranked 47, Pakistan’s Mohammad Wasim Khan, ranked 70, Egypt’s Yassin Shohady, ranked 85, Malaysia’s Ameeshenraj Chandaran, ranked 80, and Duncan Lee, ranked 95. Also competing are Chi Him Wong of Hong Kong, ranked 97, Japan’s Tomotaka Endo, ranked 106, and Naoki Hayashi, ranked 140.
Speaking at the ceremony, Brigadier General Kamrul Islam said that the federation’s first five-year plan, Vision 2025, is coming to an end this year. The plan set ten key objectives, including developing adequate numbers of players and coaches for both men’s and women’s teams, organising regular domestic and international competitions, and building a dedicated squash complex. He noted that despite limited resources and the absence of a permanent playing venue, nine of those targets have already been achieved. He added that the next challenge is to sustain this progress and continue moving forward.
Alongside the trophy unveiling, the organisers also introduced two foreign coaches, Mohassin Javed of Iran and Abdul Baset of Pakistan. The federation said its long-term planning goes beyond the postponed South Asian Games, with a clear focus on the next 10 to 15 years. Over the past three years, systematic work has been underway to develop junior boys’ and girls’ squash players.
Despite constraints in infrastructure and funding, the Bangladesh Squash Federation has consistently implemented its Vision 2025 plan over the past five years. This has included regular coaching camps, training courses, clinics, workshops, and the organisation of both domestic and international competitions. Officials also highlighted initiatives such as ‘Classroom Squash’, aimed at taking the sport beyond its traditional elite circles and making it more accessible to the wider public.
