Pakistan’s hockey and squash teams kept their momentum going at the Asian Games on Thursday, while the country’s kabaddi campaign ended in disappointment and boxer Maria Rind bowed out.
Pakistan hockey maintained their winning run with a 3-0 victory over China at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium, recording their third win in as many matches.
China had the early chances but failed to make the most of two penalty corners, while Pakistan squandered two of their own.
The national side came out all guns blazing in the second quarter, earning two penalty corners before being awarded a penalty, which Abu Mahmood converted.
Sufyan Khan then struck five minutes later from a penalty corner before Hannan Shahid added a field goal two minutes before half-time.
Both teams traded chances in the second half but could not breach the goal.
Sufyan has now scored five goals in three matches, all from penalty corners. Pakistan next face Malaysia in their Pool B fixture on Saturday.
In squash, Noor Zaman and Mohammad Ashab Irfan cruised into the quarter-finals with comfortable victories at the Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena.
Third-seeded Noor swept aside Kuwait’s Ammar Altamimi 11-4, 11-9, 11-4 in 26 minutes, while Ashab downed Saudi Arabia’s Mohammad Al Alnafsan 11-9, 11-3, 11-5 in 36 minutes.
Pakistan’s top-ranked Noor faces Chi Hin Henry Leung on Friday, while Ashab, ranked 49th in the PSA standings, takes on India’s Veer Chotrani for a spot in the semi-finals.
Earlier, Asim Khan and Mehwish Ali survived a scare, coming back from a game down to reach the mixed doubles quarter-finals.
The pair lost the first game 11-8 to Japan’s Naoki Hayashi and Erisa Sano but kept their nerve to take the second 11-10, before regrouping to claim the decider 11-4, to wrap up the triumph in 39 minutes.
The other Pakistani team of Nasir Iqbal and Sehrish Ali crashed out after losing their last-16 clash to Hong Kong’s Ming Hong Tang and Ka Yi Lee 11-2, 11-6.
Pakistan’s kabaddi campaign ended with a heavy 51-30 defeat to Iran in their final Group B match at the Tokai Citizen Gymnasium.
Iran led 20-14 at the interval and pulled away in the second half, outscoring Pakistan 31-16.
Iran’s dominance showed in the stats: 41 outs, eight all-out points and two bonus points, while Pakistan managed 23 outs, four bonus points and three super-tackle points.
