Pakistan’s junior squash players storm into finals at Asian Championship

KARACHI: Pakistan’s emerging squash talent showcased remarkable performances at the 32nd Asian Junior Squash Championship in South Korea, with several players advancing to the finals on day four of the tournament.

In the Boys U13 category, top-seeded Sohail Adnan dominated India’s Amarya Bajaj with a straight-game victory, winning 11-5, 11-2, 11-2. He will face India’s Ayaan Dhanuka in the final.

The Boys U15 event will feature an all-Pakistan final after both Nauman Khan and Ahmed Rayan Khalil triumphed in their semifinal matches. Nauman, the top seed, defeated Aryaman Singh of India 11-5, 11-1, 11-5, while Khalil overpowered Hong Kong’s Yuen Tsz Long 11-8, 11-2, 11-1.

Pakistan’s Mahnoor Ali delivered a standout performance in the Girls U13 semifinals, stunning Malaysia’s top-seeded Maisarah Binti Mohd Khairul Nizam 11-7, 11-5, 11-7 to advance to the final.

However, Abdullah Nawaz’s campaign in the Boys U19 category ended in the semifinals after a hard-fought battle against Korea’s top-seeded Jooyoung Na. Nawaz won the first game 11-7 but lost the next three 10-12, 2-11, 4-11.

The finals are set to take place on Saturday, with Pakistani players eyeing titles in multiple age groups.