In a closely contested match, the Indian men’s squash team faced a 1-2 defeat against Pakistan in the quarterfinals of the Asian Squash Team Championships.
Md Asim Khan secured a convincing victory for Pakistan, defeating India’s Rahul Baitha with a scoreline of 11-3, 11-4, 11-9. India’s Velavan Senthilkumar fought hard but ultimately lost to Nasir Iqbal in a competitive match (5-11, 7-11, 6-11). Pakistan’s Noor Zaman sealed the victory for his team by defeating India’s Suraj Kumar Chand (11-8, 11-8, 11-6).
The women’s team lost to South Korea at the Asian Squash Team Championships
In the women’s category, India faced a tough challenge against South Korea in their must-win final Group A match. Unfortunately, the Indian women’s team lost 0-3. Pooja Arthi Raghu fell to South Korea’s Hwayeong Eum (5-11, 5-11, 8-11). Rathika Suthanthira Seelan fought valiantly but couldn’t overcome South Korea’s Ming Yeong Heo (4-11, 12-10, 7-11, 6-11). Sunita Patel also faced defeat against South Korea’s Chaewon Song (12-10, 8-11, 14-12, 7-11, 7-11).
Despite the quarterfinal loss, both the Indian men’s and women’s teams will continue competing for classification spots. This Asian Team Squash Championships marks India’s third final appearance, having previously reached the finals in 1981 and 2012.
Asian Team Squash: Indian men, women lose
India results:
Men (quarterfinals): Pakistan bt India 2-1 (Md Asim Khan bt Rahul Baitha 11-3, 11-4, 11-9; Nasir Iqbal lost to Velavan Senthilkumar 5-11, 7-11, 6-11; Noor Zaman bt Suraj Kumar Chand 11-8, 11-8, 11-6).
Women (Pool A… pic.twitter.com/etFOmKLd5f
— ISP Squash-India (@IspSquash) June 15, 2024
While the Indian men’s team couldn’t overcome Pakistan, they put up a strong fight, and the women’s team faced a challenging South Korean side. The championship continues, and India aims to bounce back in the upcoming matches.
