Pakistan Beat Hong Kong to Seal Asian Games Squash Silver and Final Spot

Pakistan defeated Hong Kong 2-1 in the men's team squash semi-final at Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena on Thursday to reach the Asian Games final, guaranteeing at least a silver medal and a shot at their first gold in the event since 2010. The win builds on Wednesday's quarter-final victory over South Korea, which had already secured Pakistan's third overall Asian Games squash team medal.

A Tie That Swung Both Ways

Noor Zaman opened with a hard-fought 12-10 win over Hong Kong's Tsz Kwan Lau, but Lau fought back to take the next two games, putting Hong Kong 1-0 up overall. Mohammad Ashab Irfan then levelled the tie, overcoming a 6-0 deficit in the second game against Chi Hin Henry Leung before closing it out 2-1 in games.

Nasir Iqbal Seals It

With the tie level at 1-1, Nasir Iqbal faced Cheuk Nam Lai in the decider. After dropping the opener, Nasir won the next two games before closing out a dramatic fourth game 14-12 — saving multiple game points along the way — to send Pakistan through to the final.

What's at Stake

Pakistan will face the winner of the other semi-final between India and Malaysia for gold. The squad — Noor Zaman, Ashab Irfan, Nasir Iqbal, and Asim Khan — is the same core that won silver at the 2022 Hangzhou Games, where they lost the final to India. A gold-medal finish in Nagoya would mark Pakistan's first Asian Games squash team title since beating Malaysia 2-0 in the 2010 Guangzhou final.

Another Medal: Shooting Bronze

Separately, veteran shooter Ghulam Mustafa Bashir claimed bronze in the men's 25m rapid fire pistol event, delivering Pakistan's first shooting medal of the Games after qualifying sixth overall with 578 points and 19 inner tens.