LAHORE - Pakistan football team has earned the first victory in the Asian Games after 44 years of waiting, after defeating Nepal 2-1 in the Group D match played at Jakarta.
According to information made available here on Sunday, Nepal started the match in great style as they netted their first goal in the 11th minutes. Pakistan players then changed their game plan and kept on playing defensive game. It helped them make their rivals tired and then getting benefit of the situation, the green shirts slammed an equalizer in the 54th minute through M Bilal.
Later, they maintained their possession of the ball and kept on attacking Nepal’s goals. The continuous efforts paid off in the 72nd minute, when captain Saddam converted a beautiful goal to provide Pakistan team 2-1 lead, which remained intact till the final whistle and Pakistan emerged as winners. PFF President Faisal Saleh Hayat has congratulated the boys for earning a well-deserving victory in the mega event.
Meanwhile, Aqeel Khan played tremendous tennis to topple Mangolia’s Badrakh by 6-1, 6-1 in the men’s singles tennis event while compatriot Abid Ali defeated Indonesia’s Susanto by 6-1, 7-5 in another encounter of men’s singles.
But in the mixed doubles tennis events, Pakistan players failed to down their mighty opponents, as Thailand’s Kumkhum and Rayiwatna outclassed Abid Ali and Ushna Suhail 6-1, 6-2 in the first mixed doubles and Indonesia’s Christopher Rungkat and Sutjiadi thumped Muzammil and Sara Mansoor by 6-3, 6-2 in the second mixed doubles match.
In men’s kabaddi group B match, green shirts thrashed Malaysia by 62-17 while in wushu, Pakistan’s Muaz Khan knocked out Lebanon to register victory. In shooting trap event, Pakistan’s Amir Iqbal earned second position by scoring 72 points while M Farrukh Nadeem got 70 points to finish 14th.
In badminton men’s event, Nepal outlasted Pakistan by 3-1 while in women’s badminton, Nepal thrashed Pakistan by 3-0. In fencing men’s epee, Qatar outplayed Pakistan while in 57kg men’s freestyle wrestling, Uzbekistan routed Pakistan by 7-2. Similarly, in swimming events, no Pakistani players could move into the next round.