Pakistan blank HK 2-0 to win Asian Squash crown

KARACHI: Pakistan exploited the hot and humid conditions in an outdoor venue in Chinese Taipei on Sunday to tame top seeds Hong Kong and win the 18th Asian Squash Team Championship.

A comprehensive 2-0 triumph in the finale helped the second seeded Pakistanis to win the prestigious Asian crown for a record fifteenth time.

In the first match, Farhan Zaman compensated for his poor performance in Saturday’s semi-final against India as he overpowered Hong Kong’s best player Max Lee 9-11, 12-10, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9.

The second match was played between the teams’ third seeded players.

Farhan Mehboob showed his class and lived up to the expectations of his camp. He thrashed Bt Tang Ming Hong 11-4, 11-7, 11-4 to seal the fourth consecutive title victory for Pakistan in the event.

The third match between Tayyab Aslam and Yip Tsz Fung was withdrawn as Pakistan had already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead.

Pakistan were placed in Group B of the tournament where they defeated Singapore and Sri Lanka to enter the quarter-finals.

They crushed ninth seed Iraq in the quarter-final and  registered a thrilling win against arch-rivals India in the semi-final.

A total of 14 teams participated in the championship.

Despite the loss, it was Hong Kong’s equal-best performance in the regional championships after their silver medals at the 1992 and 1996 events.

In the women’s competition, Hong Kong had to settle for a joint bronze medal with Japan after losing to India in the semi-finals.

Hong Kong coach Tony Choi Yuk-kwan was disappointed overall but said the players will learn from the experience. “Lee’s defeat was very close after five tough games and I can’t blame the player,” said the coach.

“But more importantly, we have learned lessons on how to cope with the heat because the knockout stage was played in an outdoor glass court. The ball became very bouncy under such conditions and we found it difficult to play our normal games while players from South Asia are very used to it,” he added.

“[Women’s player] Annie Au’s loss in the semi-final was typical for these conditions and she was unable to produce her best shots.”

To add to their woes, Leo Au Chun-ming, recently voted Asian Player of the Year, was unable to play because of a shoulder injury sustained in a bicycle accident just before the tournament. “We have to monitor his progress closely,” said Choi.