Staff Report
PESHAWAR: Pakistan’s legendary squash champion Jansher Khan has emphasized the need to organize regular sports competitions between Pakistan and China to help Pakistani athletes gain valuable exposure and improve their skills.
He expressed these views during his visit to the Chinese Cultural Center — China Window in Peshawar, where he toured various galleries, signed the Friendship Wall, and recorded his remarks in the visitors’ book.
Jansher Khan, an eight-time World Squash Champion and six-time British Open winner, praised China’s impressive progress in the field of sports. He noted that in China, sports are treated as an industry, which has enabled the country to emerge as a global powerhouse.
“China’s excellence is not limited to the Olympics and other international events—it has also used sports as a tool for diplomacy, cultural exchange, and public health promotion,” he remarked.
The former world number one said that China demonstrated its sporting capabilities and organizational strength by hosting the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2022 Winter Olympics, consistently ranking among the top three nations on the Olympic medal table.
He stressed that the development of sports is part of China’s state policy, and Pakistan’s government should learn from China’s model to strengthen its own sports infrastructure.
Jansher Khan underscored the importance of enhanced sporting exchanges and collaboration with Chinese coaches and institutions. He described the Pak-China Friendship Center in Peshawar as a symbol of the enduring bond between the two nations.
“Just as the friendship between Pakistan and China is everlasting, the love and respect between the peoples of both countries is unforgettable,” he said, calling for continued efforts to deepen this brotherly relationship.
The squash legend also lauded the organizers of China Window for their positive and constructive role in promoting Pakistan-China friendship.
At the conclusion of the visit, Jansher Khan was presented with a souvenir to commemorate the occasion.
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