Pakistani juniors shine in Korea, advance to Asian Squash Championship quarterfinals

KARACHI: Pakistani junior squash players delivered strong performances on the second day of the 32nd Asian Junior Squash Championship at Gimcheon, Korea, with six players advancing to the quarterfinals after notable victories, including key wins against Indian opponents.

In the boys under-19 category, Abdullah Nawaz dominated India’s Tavneet Singh Mundra with a straight-game victory (11-4, 11-5, 11-6), showcasing a commanding performance. 

However, Anas Shah fell short in a hard-fought five-game thriller against India’s Yusha Nafees (11-7, 11-13, 3-11, 11-4, 5-11).

The Boys Under-15 category saw two impressive wins for Pakistan. Ahmed Rayan Khalil pulled off a major upset by defeating India’s second-seeded Shreyansh Jha in straight games (11-4, 11-5, 12-10). 

Meanwhile, top-seeded Nauman Khan cruised past Malaysia’s Muhammad Ifwat bin Zulkifli 11-6, 11-2, 11-2.

In the boys under-13 category, the top seed Sohail Adnan continued Pakistan’s winning momentum, overpowering Malaysia’s Mior El Fayedh Bin Mior Ahmad Nazril (11-3, 11-4, 11-5).

In boys U17 event, Pakistan's Umar Arif lost to India's Subhash a Chaudhary 11-7, 11-9 and 13-11.

On the girls' side, Mahnoor Ali secured a convincing win against Hong Kong’s Cheung Hei Kwai Myra (11-8, 11-2, 11-7) in the girls under-13 event.

Mahnoor's elder sister Sehrish Ali also triumphed in the girls under-15 category, defeating Hong Kong’s Chiu Hau Ching in four games (14-12, 11-6, 6-11, 11-7). 

However, the eldest of the squash siblings Mehwish Ali was unable to advance in the girls under-17 event, losing to Hong Kong’s Chung Yee Ling Elaine (11-13, 11-5, 13-11, 11-4).

The championship continues with quarterfinal matches as Pakistani players aim to secure more victories and advance further in the tournament.