Noor Zaman and Ashab Irfan reach Asian Games squash semi-finals, guaranteeing Pakistan a medal

Update, 27 September: Noor Zaman and Ashab Irfan lost their semi-finals and won bronze medals. Read the full report.

Pakistan are guaranteed another medal at the Asian Games after Noor Zaman and Mohammad Ashab Irfan both won their quarter-finals in the men’s singles squash competition in Nagoya on Friday.

Third seed Noor beat Hong Kong’s Chi Hin Henry Leung, while fifth seed Ashab came from a game down to defeat India’s fourth-seeded Veer Chotrani at the Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena. Because both losing semi-finalists receive bronze in the Asian Games squash event, the two wins mean Pakistan will leave the men’s singles draw with at least one medal, and possibly more.

It is the first time since 2002 that two Pakistani players have reached the Asian Games squash semi-finals.

Ashab turns the match around

Ashab’s win was the more dramatic of the two. He dropped the opening game 6-11 against Chotrani, the higher-seeded player, before taking control and winning the next three games 11-8, 11-6, 11-6.

Squash matches at this level are played over the best of five games, with each game played to 11 points, so losing the first game puts a player under immediate pressure. Ashab’s response, three games in a row without letting his opponent get closer than three points, showed composure against a strong rival on a big stage.

The result also carried extra meaning. At the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou, India beat Pakistan in the men’s team final, and Friday’s win gave Ashab and Pakistan a measure of revenge against their neighbours.

Noor holds his nerve

Noor, the highest-ranked Pakistani in the draw, was made to work hard by Leung but kept his composure at the key moments to seal his place in the last four. As the third seed, he entered the tournament as one of the favourites to contend for the title, and he has so far lived up to that billing.

A clean run through the early rounds

Both players reached the quarter-finals without dropping a single game. In the round of 16 on Thursday, Noor beat Kuwait’s Ammar Altamimi 11-4, 11-9, 11-4, and Ashab defeated Saudi Arabia’s Mohammad Al Alnafsan 11-9, 11-3, 11-5.

That form, six games won and none lost in the round of 16, suggested both were peaking at the right time, and their quarter-final wins confirmed it.

Why it matters for Pakistan squash

Pakistan has one of the richest histories in the sport. Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan dominated men’s squash for much of the 1980s and 1990s, and Pakistan produced a long line of world champions and British Open winners. In the decades since, the country’s results at the very top level have been far less consistent.

Against that background, having two Pakistanis in the Asian Games semi-finals for the first time in more than two decades is a significant moment, and an encouraging sign for the younger players hoping to follow them.

What happens next

Noor and Ashab will play their semi-finals on Saturday, with places in Sunday’s final at stake. If both win, they would meet each other in the final, guaranteeing Pakistan both gold and silver in the men’s singles.

Whatever happens on Saturday, the pair have already added to Pakistan’s medal count in Japan. The 2026 Asian Games are being held in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4.

The Indus Compass will report on both semi-finals and, if Pakistan reach it, Sunday’s final.

Match results and scores as reported by Dawn.