A coach beyond courts: Honouring Naveed Alam, the quiet force behind Pakistan’s squash revival | Sports
smartcybers786@gmail.com 
#coach #courts #Honouring #Naveed #Alam #quiet #force #Pakistans #squash #revival #Sports
In an era where squash in Pakistan has struggled to recapture the glory of its golden years, one man has remained steadfastly committed to nurturing the next generation of champions, Mohammad Naveed Alam. This week, his tireless service received the recognition it has long deserved.
In a heartfelt farewell ceremony held at Pakistan Navy’s Roshan Roshan Khan Jahangir Khan Squash Complex, Alam was honored with the Best Coach Award, lifetime family membership, and deep recognition of legends, sportsmen and officials whose careers touched him.
The honor was formally conferred by Lt Commander Mohammad Umar, who paid a moving tribute to the coach’s discipline and devotion. “He worked like a madman,” remarked Lt. Commander Omar, describing the scholar’s habit of staying in the courts even after the lights dimmed and the crowds thinned. “His sole focus was to elevate squash through Pakistan Navy’s Roshan Khan Jahangir Khan Squash Complex. His dedication and discipline are truly commendable.”
Yet the praise did not stop there. The moment reached its emotional peak when squash icon Jahangir Khan, a name synonymous with global dominance, presented Naveed Alam with the Best Coach Award. The gesture had a weight that words could barely match. “Naveed Alam’s work is recognized in the highest manner,” said Jahangir Khan. “He has done complex and remarkable things for the development of squash in Pakistan. I wish him all the best for the future.”
To understand the magnitude of this honor, one must understand Naveed Alam. Soft-spoken but uncompromising in training, humble yet humble in ambition for his players, the scholar represents a generation of coaches who build empires not through noise, but through quiet, consistent consistency.
For more than a decade, it served as one of the main pillars of the Pakistan Navy, an institution named after two titans of the game, Roshan Khan and Jahangir Khan. The complex itself stands as one of the country’s premier squash facilities, renowned for producing elite athletes, hosting national and international tournaments and serving as a high-performance training center for Pakistan Navy athletes and civilian athletes.
Within these walls, Naveed Alam earned a reputation as a master craftsman of talent. His methods were rooted in discipline, fitness, mental toughness, and close attention to detail. Unlike many coaches, Alam didn’t just train bodies, he cultivated minds.
Many of Pakistan’s exciting young players attribute their rise to his foresight and hard work. Among them:
Hazfa Ibrahim: The US junior champion, known for her explosive movement and aggressive style, owes much of her form to Alam’s endurance-based training regimens.
Zainab Khan: National Women’s Champion, whose tactical maturity and controlled game reflect countless hours under Alam’s guidance.
Hazfa Shahid: Winner of multiple international titles, and widely regarded as the most disciplined junior to emerge under Alam’s tutelage in recent years.
For these athletes, Alam was more than a coach, he was a mentor, a motivator and a stable anchor in the unpredictable world of competitive sports.
Beyond coaching, Naveed Alam’s contribution extended to the administrative and operational heart of the complex. He has successfully organized and directed numerous national and international tournaments, balancing the roles of coach, event planner and tournament director with impeccable professionalism.
In doing so, it strengthened not only the careers of individual players but also the structural integrity of squash within the Pakistan Navy, ensuring continuity, visibility and growth of competitive pathways.
As someone who has covered sports for years, I believe the honor conferred on Naveed Alam has deep significance. It is a statement that Pakistan still values teachers, architects and educators, who work behind the scenes, away from the limelight.
In a country rich in squash history but often short on modern systems, Navid Alam became a bridge between legacy and future. His recognition is not just a farewell gesture, it is an affirmation that excellence does not go unnoticed.
For Pakistan Squash, this is a reminder of what is possible when institutions support the right people. For Complex, this is a proud moment that reinforces its identity as a sports development powerhouse. And for the scholar, it marks the beginning of a new chapter, supported by the respect and gratitude of the community he formed with unwavering devotion.
kinzzazhar3@gmail.com
