Key Takeaways
- Pakistan’s men’s volleyball team secured a 3-1 victory over Kazakhstan in their Asian Games opener.
- Noor Zaman and Mohammad Ashab Irfan clinched bronze medals in men’s singles squash.
- Pakistan’s medal tally stands at four, including two in volleyball and two in squash.
Pakistan’s men’s volleyball team began their Asian Games campaign on a high note, defeating Kazakhstan 3-1 in their Pool ‘A’ opener. The victory, which came after Pakistan lost the third set, saw them secure 25-16, 25-22, 17-25, 25-20 against their opponents.
Murad Khan led the scoring with 21 points, including 17 successful spikes and four blocks, while Usman Faryad Ali contributed 14 points. Jehan Murad and Musawer Khan added 11 and nine points respectively, highlighting the team’s strong attacking exchanges.
Despite the victory, Pakistan’s blocking remained a concern, with Kazakhstan registering 10 blocks compared to Pakistan’s seven. However, the team’s effectiveness in attack, converting 55 of 114 spikes, was a significant factor in their win.
The victory provides Pakistan with an early advantage in a pool that includes Japan and Uzbekistan. Iran, the defending champions, will also be a formidable opponent.
In the men’s singles squash, Noor Zaman emerged victorious over compatriot Mohammad Ashab Irfan in the third-place playoff, winning 11-7, 11-7, 11-3 in 26 minutes. This result did not alter the medal positions, as both players had already secured their bronze medals after their semi-final defeats on Saturday.
Their progress into the semi-finals marked Pakistan’s strongest individual squash performance in 17 years, adding two bronze medals to the country’s medal tally. The two bronze medals bring Pakistan’s total to four, alongside the bronze won by the women’s cricket team and Asim Khan’s bronze in the men’s 60kg MMA event.
However, there was little joy for Pakistan in fencing, as the men’s épée team lost 7-5 to Qatar in the table-of-16 round. Mohammad Abdulali and Baryal Waqas Khan won individual relays, but Pakistan could not overturn Qatar’s advantage.
In shooting, Rabia Kabir finished 41st in the women’s 25m pistol qualification after scoring 278-4x. Kishmala Talat was listed as a non-starter. South Korea’s Yang Jiin topped the qualification with 292-11x, while Iran’s Haniyeh Rostamiyan and Vietnam’s Trinh Thu Vinh occupied the next two positions.
In athletics, Ansar Abbas qualified for the men’s long jump final with a personal-best 7.28 metres, finishing seventh in the qualification.
