Noor Zaman advanced to the quarterfinals of the PSA Gold Silicon Valley Open on 22 October after defeating Karim Abdel Gawad. The match lasted 52 minutes, with Zaman securing a score of 11-9, 11-7, 9-11, 11-6.
Gawad, who previously held the world No. 1 ranking, was overcome by the Pakistani athlete in the $143,500 men’s event. Zaman, the grandson of Qamar Zaman, is currently ranked among the world’s top 35 players.
The Peshawar native previously won the 2025 World Under-23 Squash Championship and has secured five PSA Tour titles. Earlier in the tournament, Zaman won 3-1 over Bransten Ming in a 41-minute match with scores of 3-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-9.
Zaman said, "I was ready mentally and physically today, and I think now is the time for me to beat the top players." Mohammad Ashab Irfan lost to Mohamed ElShorbagy in the round of 16 after Irfan defeated Balazs Farkas 11-6, 11-4, 11-5.
Squash is scheduled to make its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
