Iqbal crashes out of world squash event

Pakistan number one loses first-round tie in straight games.

Pakistan’s top ranked player Nasir Iqbal lasted a mere 28 minutes in the Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Championship’s main round in Manchester, England. Iqbal was sent packing out of the event in his first-round match against Egypt’s Karim Darwish.

Iqbal played well in the opening game, which he lost by a narrow margin of 9-11. However, the second and third games were a one-sided affair as Darwish recorded an easy 11-6 and 11-5 win to end Pakistan’s campaign in the premier squash tournament. Darwish will now face Finland’s Olli Tuominen in the second round.

Earlier, Farhan Mehboob lost in the opening qualifier. A total of 16 countries will be represented in the second round, led by eight Egyptians and five Englishmen, while India’s Saurav Ghosal also made the cut.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 30^th, 2013.

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