Pakistani Squash Team Starts Strong at Asian Doubles Championship

KUCHING, MALAYSIA: The dynamic Pakistani squash team, featuring Noor Zaman and Nasir Iqbal, initiated their journey at the Asian Doubles Squash Championship with a commanding victory. The event is being held in Kuching, Malaysia.

Noor and Nasir triumphed over South Korea in straight sets in their initial tournament match, advancing them to the subsequent stage. The Pakistani representatives exhibited dominance, securing scores of 11-4 and 11-1.

The national team’s next challenge is against the Philippines.

The competition’s format includes pool matches for the initial two days, which will then lead to knockout rounds across the men’s, women’s, and mixed doubles categories.

The leading two teams from each pool will progress to the knockout phase, scheduled to begin on June 25, with the final matches in all three categories taking place the following day.

The Pakistani duo is situated in Group B of the doubles championship, facing competition from the Philippines, Singapore, and South Korea. The top two pairs from each group will proceed to the knockout quarterfinals.

Fahim Gul is fulfilling the role of the team’s coach, while Amir Nawaz is serving as the contingent’s manager.

Previously, Noor Zaman’s journey in the Asian Individual Squash Championship concluded following a close defeat in the pre-quarterfinal round.

Zaman, the current World Under-23 champion, was ousted after a five-game showdown against Malaysia’s Joachim Chuah.

Despite dealing with a back spasm, Zaman conceded the initial two games with scores of 3-11, 3-11. He demonstrated resilience by claiming the third game 11-3 and narrowly securing the fourth 12-10, thus necessitating a decisive game.

However, Chuah reasserted his command in the final game, winning decisively with an 11-2 score to secure the match and bring Zaman’s participation to an end.