ISLAMABAD - Pakistani juniors on Friday continued their brilliant run in the British Junior Squash Championship 2020, which is in progress in Birmingham, as majority of Pak players booked berths in fourth round.
Talking to The Nation from Birmingham, Pakistan junior team manager Hussain Odhwani said: “It was high class squash on offer by Pakistani lads. I am deeply touched the way our youngsters showed tremendous potential and quality game, which helped them produce such great results.”
In boys U-13 second round match, Abdullah Nawaz thumped Aqil Mirza of Malaysia 3-0. Abdullah won the first game 11-6, took the second 11-7 and won the third 11-6 to move into third round. In boys U-15 third round match, M Ammad outperformed Malaysian Tay Jun Qian 3-0. Ammad won the first game 11-4, but faced some resistance in the second before winning it 12-10 while he bagged the third one 11-8 to move into the fourth round. In another U-15 third round match, Pakistan’s M Hamza Khan thrashed England’s Thomas Greengrass 11-5, 11-2 and 11-3, while Pakistan’s Anas Ali Shah outscored Colombian Juan Jose 3-0 in round three as he won the encounter 11-8, 11-8, 11-8.
In U-17 third round match, Pakistan’s Noor Zaman, grandson of Qamar Zaman, played sensational squash against highly-rated Czech Republic’s Karim Farrag and trounced him 3-0 to move into the fourth round.
Noor had to struggle hard to win the first game 11-7, but comfortably won the second game 11-3 while in the hard-fought third game, Noor faced tough resistance from Farrag as it was 11-all, but after that, Noor twice saved game-point and went onto win the game 13-11. In another U-17 third round match, Pakistan’s Asad Ullah Khan was beaten 0-3 as the score was 7-11, 9-11, 4-11.
In boys U-19, Pakistan’s Haris Qasim got bye in the first round and in the second round, he defeated Taylor Carrick 3-1, winning the encounter 11-6, 11-8, 8-11 and 11-2. In another U-19 match, Hamza Shareef lost to Max Forster 0-3, as he was beaten by 8-11, 5-11 and 10-12. Pakistan’s Haris Qasim beat England’s Jared Carter 3-1. He won the match by 11-9, 4-11, 12-10, 13-11 to enter the fourth round.