Pakistan's men's squash team seal Asian Games bronze

Pakistan’s men’s squash team are guaranteed at least a bronze medal at the Asian Games after beating South Korea 2-0 in the quarter-finals in Japan, setting up a semi-final against Hong Kong on Thursday.

The two stars who have already won individual bronze medals, Mohammad Ashab Irfan and Noor Zaman, both won in straight games, Dawn reported.

How they won

• Ashab Irfan beat Na Jooyoung 11-5, 11-8, 11-8 in 30 minutes. Ashab took control early, racing to a 7-2 lead in the first game, and never let it slip.
• Noor Zaman beat Seojin Oh 11-4, 11-5, 11-2. The world No 33 dominated the first two games. Oh fought back in the third to trail 8-11 at one stage, but Noor closed the match out firmly.

Women’s campaign ends

Pakistan’s young women’s team went out after a 2-1 defeat to China, having also lost 3-0 to Macau in the round-robin stage.

• Mahnoor Ali, just 13, lost to 19-year-old Ziyi Liu 11-4, 11-8, 11-2 in under 20 minutes
• Sana Bahadar gave Pakistan hope with a standout 11-7, 11-9, 11-2 win over Yuning Zhang
• Sehrish Ali lost the deciding match to 14-year-old Ziyuan Yin 11-3, 11-7, 11-2

With players as young as 13 in the side, the experience in Japan could pay off for Pakistan’s women in years to come.

A good day for Pakistan in Japan

Elsewhere, shooter Ghulam Mustafa Bashir scored 289 in the qualification stage of the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol, placing eighth and advancing to Stage 2 on Thursday, October 1.

Thursday is shaping up as a big day for Pakistan. As well as the squash semi-final, the hockey team play India in their semi-final at 12:30pm, and the cricket team meet Bangladesh in the cricket semi-finals.

Pakistan’s medal count

The team bronze adds to the medals Pakistan have already won in Japan, all of them bronze so far: women’s cricket, mixed martial arts through Asim Khan, the individual squash bronzes of Noor Zaman and Ashab Irfan, and the PUBG Mobile esports team.

Organisers apologise

The Games have been marked by problems off the court. Nagoya’s mayor, Ichiro Hirosawa, apologised for the “inconveniences” faced by athletes, including a shortage of beds, beds in temporary cabins that were too short, buses that did not run or went to the wrong venues, and athletes stranded for hours at the airport on arrival. At one event, North Korea’s anthem was played by mistake instead of South Korea’s.

“We must offer our apologies to the athletes and others affected by these inconveniences,” Hirosawa said, The Express Tribune reported. To save money, no athletes’ village was built; more than 17,000 athletes and officials are staying in temporary wooden units, a cruise ship and hotels. The Games end on Sunday.

Why it matters

Squash was once Pakistan’s greatest sporting strength. A team medal led by Noor and Ashab is a sign that the country is again producing players who can compete with Asia’s best. Read our reports on the hockey semi-final against India and on Pakistan’s fifth medal of the Games.

This article draws on reporting by Dawn and The Express Tribune.