PROVINCE REPORT
PESHAWAR: Pakistan had a mixed day at the Asian Games, with the national squash players producing impressive performances while the teams and athletes in kabaddi, table tennis and fencing faced defeats.
In men’s singles squash, Pakistan’s star player Noor Zaman defeated the Philippines’ Van Ero Dalida 3-0 to qualify for the Last 16. Noor dominated the match, winning 11-2, 11-4 and 11-3.
Muhammad Ashab also secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Lebanon’s Jason Karam in just 18 minutes. Ashab won 11-2, 11-3 and 11-0 to advance to the Round of 16.
Pakistan also registered a victory in mixed doubles, where Asim Khan and Mahwish Ali defeated Nepal’s Arhant Singha and Bipana Bhulan 2-0. The Pakistani pair won 11-6 and 11-10.
In women’s singles, 13-year-old Pakistani player Mahnoor Ali lost 3-0 to Singapore’s Wai Yihan. The scores were 9-11, 3-11 and 8-11. Sana Bahadur also suffered a narrow 3-2 defeat against Iran’s Najmeh Boushehri in a closely contested match, with the scores 9-11, 11-6, 12-10, 8-11 and 6-11.
Pakistan Lose Thriller Against Thailand in Kabaddi
Pakistan suffered a 48-45 defeat against Thailand in an important group match. Pakistan started strongly and led 23-16 at half-time, but Thailand staged a remarkable comeback in the second half, scoring 32 points to secure a three-point victory.
Pakistani Players Exit Table Tennis Events
Pakistan’s players failed to advance in the table tennis events. In men’s doubles, Abbas Khan and Muhammad Khan were defeated 3-0 by Iran’s Nima and Noshad, who won 11-4, 11-5 and 11-2.
In another doubles match, the pair of Taha Bilal and Abdul Khan lost 3-0 to Bahrain’s pair, with the scores 11-4, 11-6 and 11-9. In women’s singles, Pakistan’s Kulsoom Khan was defeated 4-0 by Syria’s Hind Zaza.
Ejaz Nauman Eliminated from Fencing
Pakistan’s Muhammad Ejaz Nauman failed to win any of his pool matches in the men’s individual sabre event. He suffered defeats against opponents from Iran, Kuwait, China, the Philippines and Vietnam and was eliminated at the preliminary stage.
Asad Javed Misses Rowing Final A
In the 2000-metre singles sculls rowing event, Pakistan’s Asad Javed finished fourth in his heat after completing the distance in 7 minutes and 43.54 seconds. He missed out on Final A and will now compete in Final B for his overall placing.
Usman Khan Finishes 16th in Equestrian
Pakistan’s Usman Khan competed in the individual eventing competition with his horse Eden du Veret. He finished 16th overall after recording 55.90 penalty points across the different stages.
