Pakistan guaranteed another Asian Games medal as Noor, Ashab reach squash semi-finals

KARACHI: Noor Zaman and Mohammad Ashab Irfan on Friday collectively secured at least a bronze medal for Pakistan in the Asian Games men's singles squash after the duo won their respective matches at the Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena to qualify for the semi-finals of the competition.

Noor, who is Pakistan's top-ranked player in the draw, eased past Hong Kong, China's Chi Hin Henry Leung in the quarter-final, while Ashab inflicted a similar defeat on India's Veer Chotrani in his respective knockout clash.

Third-seeded Noor made a dominant start to the high-stakes fixture as he sealed the opening two games comfortably to move one game away from victory, but Henry Leung hit back in the third, only for the former to clinch the fourth game and prevail 11-7, 11-6, 3-11 and 11-4.

Ashab, on the other hand, got off to a contrasting start to his last-eight fixture against Indian opponent Chotrani, who clinched the opening game 11-6 to assert dominance.

But Ashab regrouped and completely outclassed Chotrani in the subsequent three games to round up a comprehensive 3-1 victory, the scoreline of which read 6-11, 11-8, 11-3 and 11-3.

Upon prevailing in their respective knockout fixtures, Noor will face Malaysia's Eain Yow NG in the first semi-final, while Ashab will lock horns with another Indian opponent, Abhay Singh, in the last-four clash, with both fixtures set to be played on Saturday.

For the unversed, Noor and Ashab's qualifications for the semi-finals have guaranteed at least a bronze medal for Pakistan as the losing semi-finalists contest for the laurel.

Meanwhile, it marked the first time since 2002 that two players from Pakistan have made it to the Asian Games semi-finals.