WAPDA and HBL retain national table tennis titles

KARACHI: WAPDA and Habib Bank Limited (HBL) defended their men’s and women’s team events titles, respectively, at the National Table Tennis championship at Bahawalpur on Sunday.
WAPDA crushed Railways 3-0 in the men’s team event final.
National champion Asim Qureshi got the better of Salman Virk 11-7, 7-11, 11-9, 11-4. In the second show WAPDA’s Ali Faisal edged Hasan Imam 11-7, 11-7, 11-4 to provide 2-0 lead to WAPDA. Former national champion Salim Abbas then whacked Yasir Bhatti 11-6, 11-7, 11-8 to complete the rout.
HBL made a stunning comeback from 0-2 down to beat WAPDA 3-2 in the final of the women’s team event to defend their crown.
Ayesha Iqbal of WAPDA defeated national champion Shabnam Bilal 11-9, 4-11, 11-9, 11-6 and 11-6 to take lead. Ghazala Basit doubled WAPDA’s lead with a 3-2 win over Raheela Kashif of HBL with the set scores of 11-13, 11-7, 9-11, 11-4, 11-8.
But HBL bounced back when Ghalia Mohsin beat Luiza Irshad 11-6, 7-11, 11-6 and 11-7 to reduce the deficit.
Shabnam of HBL then outgunned Ghazala Basit 11-6, 14-12, 10-12 and 11-5 to level the score 2-2.
Raheela Kashif of HBL then beat Ayesha Iqbal 11-13, 12-10, 11-4 and 13-12 to enable the bankers to win the title.