KARACHI: Pakistan is set to host its most lucrative squash tournament in more than two decades as the Karachi Open, a PSA World Tour Gold event with a prize purse of approximately $243,000, returns from January 6–11, 2026. The championship will take place at the DA Creek Club, the same venue that successfully held the World U23 Championships earlier this year.

The event is Pakistan’s first top-tier PSA tournament in 20 years, with $121,500 allocated each for the men’s and women’s competitions. Five of the world’s top 10 male players and three of the top 10 female players have confirmed participation, signalling Pakistan’s re-emergence as a serious host on the global squash calendar.

Former world champion and current World No 5 Karim Abdel Gawad of Egypt leads the men’s field as the top seed. Gawad, who previously clinched the Pakistan Open in 2018 and the Karachi Open in 2022, enters the tournament with an eight-match winning streak in Karachi. World No 7 Marwan ElShorbagy is seeded second, followed by World No 6 Youssef Ibrahim and former World No 1 Mohamed ElShorbagy, now representing England. World No 11 Mohamed Zakaria rounds off the top six seeds.

Pakistan will be represented by World U23 champion Noor Zaman, Muhammad Ashab Irfan, Tayyab Aslam, and Nasir Iqbal. Tayyab and Nasir enter the event as wild cards.

In the women’s draw, Egypt’s World No 3 and reigning World Junior Champion Amina Orfi headlines the competition. Malaysia’s World No 6 Sivasangari Subramaniam is seeded second, while Egypt’s World No 9 Fayrouz Aboelkheir is seeded third. Local talents Sana Bahadar and Mariam Malik have been awarded wild cards.

The Karachi Open is the most valuable squash tournament held in Pakistan since the 2003 World Open in Lahore, which featured a $175,000 prize pool. Karachi has been steadily rebuilding its profile on the international squash map, hosting the World U23 Championships in April with a $60,000 purse.

For a nation that once dominated global squash through icons like Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan, the return of a major PSA event signals renewed investment and ambition. Officials hope the Karachi Open will accelerate the revival of professional squash in Pakistan and strengthen its connection to the sport’s celebrated past.