Pakistan down Hong Kong to move into men’s team squash final
“Pakistan fought back from an early defeat to beat Hong Kong 2-1 on Thursday and reach the men’s squash team event final at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya. Noor Zaman, Pakistan’s top-ranked player, suff…”
Noor Zaman, Pakistan’s top-ranked player, suffered a setback in the opening match against Kwan Tsz Lau, losing 3-1 after taking the first game 12-10. Kwan responded strongly to win the next three games 11-3, 11-6 and 11-5, putting Hong Kong within one victory of the final.
Ashab Irfan restored parity for Pakistan with a straight games victory over Henry Chi Hin Leung. Irfan controlled the contest to win 11-5, 13-11, 11-7 and level the tie at 1-1. The decisive match went the way of experienced Pakistan campaigner Nasir Iqbal, who produced a composed performance against Nam Cheuk Lai.
Iqbal lost a closely fought opening game 12-10 but recovered immediately, taking the next three 11-3, 11-9 and 14-12 to complete a 3-1 victory and send Pakistan into the final. The result extended Pakistan’s run after they defeated South Korea 2-0 in Wednesday’s quarter-final.
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Pakistan will play the winners of the second semi-final between India and Malaysia in Friday’s final. The victory underlined Pakistan’s depth in the team competition, with Irfan and Iqbal responding decisively after Zaman’s defeat had left their side facing elimination.
For Pakistan, the final will provide another opportunity to challenge for a team gold medal, with the trio now one victory away from the title. Hong Kong, meanwhile, were unable to capitalise on their early advantage as Pakistan won both remaining matches under pressure to complete the comeback.
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