Seoul: Pakistani athletes demonstrated strong performances on the opening day of the 32nd Asian Junior Individual Squash Championships in South Korea, securing victories across multiple categories, with the exception of two matches.
In the Boys U-19 category, Abdullah Nawaz and Anas Ali Shah, both seeded [3/4], claimed dominant wins. Nawaz defeated Tharul P from Sri Lanka with scores of 11-5, 11-4, 11-7, while Shah overcame Indonesia’s Muhammad R with a scoreline of 11-3, 11-5, 11-6.
In the Boys U-17 matches, Muhammad Umair Arif [9/16] triumphed over Hong Kong’s Lau P T, securing a straight-set victory with scores of 11-3, 11-8, 11-9. However, Yahya Khan faced a challenging match against Malaysia’s Ivan C J Y, eventually losing 8-11, 5-11, 11-6, 11-1, 11-6.
For the Boys U-15, top-seeded Nauman Khan delivered a commanding performance against Thailand’s Aisoon J, winning 11-0, 11-0, 11-3. Ahmad Rayyan Khalil also achieved a decisive victory over Lonitha B from Sri Lanka with scores of 11-4, 11-0, 11-0.
In the Boys U-13 category, Muhammad.S from Malaysia defeated Pakistan’s Muhammad.M with scores of 13-11, 11-8, 11-9.
The girls’ categories saw similar success for Pakistani players. In the Girls U-17, Mehwish Ali [9/16] won against South Korea’s Yeona K with a clean 11-0, 11-2, 11-0 victory. Sehrish Ali in the Girls U-15 secured her match against Cao C I from Macau with scores of 13-11, 11-5, 11-7.
In the Girls U-13, Mahnoor Ali [3/4] showcased her skills by defeating Prinprapha P from Thailand, winning 11-0, 11-1, 11-1.
The Pakistan Squash Federation expressed confidence in their players and extended best wishes for the rest of the tournament.