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Pakistan’s wait for a men’s squash team gold at the Asian Games continues after Malaysia beat them 2-0 in Friday’s final.
Pakistan last won the team title in Guangzhou in 2010. They also finished runners-up at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Nasir Iqbal faced Ameeshenraj Chandaran in the opening match. The Pakistani made a strong start and led 6-1.
Chandaran fought back to reduce the gap to 9-7. Nasir held his nerve and won the first game 11-8 in nine minutes.
The Malaysian responded strongly in the second game. He moved from 4-2 down to 10-2 with a six-point run.
Nasir saved one game point. Chandaran then took his second chance to win 11-3 and level the match.
Chandaran continued to control the third game. The players stayed level at 6-6 before the Malaysian produced four straight points.
He won the game 11-6 and took the lead for the first time.
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Chandaran then completed the victory in the fourth game. He broke away from 5-3 and won 11-4 to give Malaysia a 1-0 lead in the final.
Noor Zaman then needed to beat Eain Yow Ng to keep Pakistan’s hopes alive.
Ng had already beaten Noor in the singles semi-final earlier in the Games. The Malaysian also holds the singles gold medal.
Ng made the stronger start and led 9-4. Noor fought back with three consecutive points, but Ng won the game 11-8.
Noor responded in the second. He produced four straight points from 3-3 and moved 7-3 ahead.
He closed out the game 11-6 to level the match.
The third game produced the closest contest of the final. Both players traded long rallies and neither gained a lasting advantage.
Noor eventually edged ahead and won 11-7 to move 2-1 in front.
Ng responded decisively in the fourth. He raced into a 5-0 lead and won 11-4 in only five minutes.
The Malaysian controlled the decider and secured an 11-4 victory.
Malaysia therefore won the final 2-0. Pakistan’s third player, Mohammed Ashab Irfan, did not need to play.
Pakistan collected silver for the second consecutive Asian Games. Their search for a first men’s team gold since 2010 continues.
Pakistan’s volleyball team will now play for bronze after Iran beat them 3-0 in Friday’s semi-final.
The defending champions won 25-13, 25-15 and 25-11.
Ali Usman Faryad led Pakistan’s scoring with 11 points. Murad Khan added nine, while Afaq Khan contributed three.
Jabran and Musawer Khan scored two points each.
Iran dominated at the net. They converted 43 of 68 spikes, compared with Pakistan’s 27 from 81 attempts.
The Iranians also won the blocking battle 15-1.
Pakistan had reached the semi-finals after beating India 3-0 in the quarter-finals. They then lost to hosts Japan in their final pool match.
Pakistan will face either Japan or China in Saturday’s bronze-medal match.
Iran advanced to the final after beating South Korea 3-2 in a five-set quarter-final.
Mohammad Abdullah suffered an early exit in the men’s freestyle 65kg category.
North Korea’s Kwang Jin Kim beat him 13-2 by technical superiority at the Nagoya City Inae Sports Centre.
Kim, ranked 14th in the world, built an unassailable lead in just over two minutes.
Noman Zaka reached the quarter-finals in the 86kg category after beating Cambodia’s Vuthy Heng 10-4.
He then faced Japan’s Hayato Ishiguro, the 2025 World Championship silver medallist.
Ishiguro won by technical superiority after preventing Noman from scoring.
Noman then entered the repechage. Kazakhstan’s Azamat Dauletbekov beat him 10-0.
Dauletbekov is a two-time world bronze medallist and three-time Asian champion.
Shahzaib Khan suffered a 2-1 defeat against Vietnam’s Hong Trong Nguyen at the Toyohashi Gymnasium.
Nguyen, a SEA Games gold medallist, edged a closely fought contest despite a determined performance from the Pakistani.
[…] Asian Games Pakistan take squash silver as Iran end volleyball gold hopes […]