Pakistan triumphed over India 2-1 to secure a spot in the semifinals of the Asian Team Squash Championship held in Dalian, China.
Asim Khan led the charge for Pakistan with a dominant 3-0 win against India’s Rahul Baitha, putting Pakistan in the lead in the competition.
Despite India’s Velavan Senthilkumar’s 3-0 victory against Nasir Iqbal, Pakistan’s coach Fahim Gul revealed that Iqbal was battling a fever, affecting his performance.
With the match tied at 1-1, Pakistan’s Noor Zaman delivered a flawless performance, defeating Suraj Kumar Chand 3-0 and propelling Pakistan into the next round.
Next, Pakistan will face Hong Kong in the semifinals, following Hong Kong’s victory over Iran in the quarterfinal.
Coach Gul expressed his joy after the victory against India, expressing optimism for the team’s performance in the upcoming matches.
In the preliminary stages, Pakistan dominated Pool C alongside South Korea, Chinese Taipei, and China. They started strong with a 3-0 win against Taipei and a 2-1 victory against Korea. In the latest match, they defeated China 3-0 to clinch the top spot in their pool.
Pakistan boasts an impressive record in the history of the Asian Men’s Team Squash Championship with 15 gold medals, although their last victory was in 2016.
Meanwhile, India holds the title of defending men’s champions, securing the title in 2022 in South Korea.
