Pakistan take squash title-defence to final
Farhan, Iqbal help holders outplay Kuwait 2-0 in Asian championship semis.
The way Iqbal played has made me proud and has given a much-needed lift to the team ahead of the final," Jamshed Gul. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
Defending champions Pakistan will take on Malaysia in the Asian Squash Team Championship, after they thrashed Kuwait 2-0 in their semi-final in Hong Kong.
The match was played on the format of 3-1-2, and Pakistan’s Farhan Mehboob, who is currently ranked 99th in the world, took on Ali Alramzi in the first match and won 3-0.
Alramzi offered some resistance in the first game, but was thwarted by Farhan, who sailed through the second set also without noticeable hindrance. Alramzi then fought hard in the third game again, but Farhan triumphed with a scoreline of 11-8, 11-4 and 11-8.
In the next match, Nasir Iqbal stunned formidable opponent Abdullah Almezayen 3-1; his first victory against the top Kuwaiti player.
The high-tempo match saw both players play to their full strength. It was Iqbal who won the first game, but Almezayen hit back to make it 1-1.
Iqbal then restored his lead by winning the third game to make it 2-1.
With victory in sight, the Bannu-based player went for the kill in the fourth game, denying his Kuwaiti opponent a chance to take the match into the decider and winning 11-9, 10-12, 11-8 and 11-4.
“It’s an important win for us, we will now look to repeat the same performance against Malaysia,” Pakistan coach Jamshed Gul told The Express Tribune.
“I was always confident that Farhan will win his matches, but the way Iqbal played has made me proud and has given a much-needed lift to the team ahead of the final.”
Gul said that he expects a tough final against Malaysia, but if all the players performed to their potential, then there will be no stopping Pakistan to defend their crown. He also claimed that all four players – including Farhan Zaman and Danish Atlas – are fit for the crucial match.
On the other hand, the Pakistan women’s team will take on Korea on Sunday for the fifth place play-off, after beating Singapore 2-0, courtesy Maria Toorpakai Wazir and Riffat Khan’s victories.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 15th, 2014.
Defending champions Pakistan will take on Malaysia in the Asian Squash Team Championship, after they thrashed Kuwait 2-0 in their semi-final in Hong Kong.
The match was played on the format of 3-1-2, and Pakistan’s Farhan Mehboob, who is currently ranked 99th in the world, took on Ali Alramzi in the first match and won 3-0.
Alramzi offered some resistance in the first game, but was thwarted by Farhan, who sailed through the second set also without noticeable hindrance. Alramzi then fought hard in the third game again, but Farhan triumphed with a scoreline of 11-8, 11-4 and 11-8.
In the next match, Nasir Iqbal stunned formidable opponent Abdullah Almezayen 3-1; his first victory against the top Kuwaiti player.
The high-tempo match saw both players play to their full strength. It was Iqbal who won the first game, but Almezayen hit back to make it 1-1.
Iqbal then restored his lead by winning the third game to make it 2-1.
With victory in sight, the Bannu-based player went for the kill in the fourth game, denying his Kuwaiti opponent a chance to take the match into the decider and winning 11-9, 10-12, 11-8 and 11-4.
“It’s an important win for us, we will now look to repeat the same performance against Malaysia,” Pakistan coach Jamshed Gul told The Express Tribune.
“I was always confident that Farhan will win his matches, but the way Iqbal played has made me proud and has given a much-needed lift to the team ahead of the final.”
Gul said that he expects a tough final against Malaysia, but if all the players performed to their potential, then there will be no stopping Pakistan to defend their crown. He also claimed that all four players – including Farhan Zaman and Danish Atlas – are fit for the crucial match.
On the other hand, the Pakistan women’s team will take on Korea on Sunday for the fifth place play-off, after beating Singapore 2-0, courtesy Maria Toorpakai Wazir and Riffat Khan’s victories.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 15th, 2014.