Five Pakistani players reach Asian Junior Squash Championship semi-finals
by By Faizan LakhaniAs many as five Pakistani players have reached semi-finals of the 32nd Asian Junior Squash Championship after they maintained their stellar performance by winning quarterfinal matches.
Abdullah Nawaz advanced to the semifinals of the Boys U19 division by dominating Hong Kong's Wong Wing Kuen in a series of straight games, winning 11-4, 11-4, and 11-6.
The Boys U15 event saw two Pakistani players progress. Nauman Khan, the top seed in this age group category, defeated India’s Harshal Rana in a commanding performance with scores of 11-6, 11-5, 11-7, while Ahmed Rayan Khalil outclassed Malaysia’s Armann Merzha bin Ashraff 11-7, 11-3, 11-3.
Pakistan’s Sohail Adnan, the top seed in Boys U13, cruised past India’s Abhyuday Arora 11-2, 11-8, 11-2 to book his place in the semifinals.
In the Girls U13 category, Mahnoor Ali secured a convincing win over India’s Anika Kalanki with scores of 11-6, 11-2, 11-3. However, Sehrish Ali bowed out in the Girls U15 quarterfinals after losing to Malaysia’s Siti Syaurah A Sufian 4-11, 7-11, 2-11.
With five players reaching the semifinals across different age groups, Pakistan remains a strong contender to win multiple medals in the tournament.