Pakistan beats Italy 3-0 in World Squash Championship

Rome: Pakistan squash stars Noor Zaman, Nasir Iqbal, and Asim Khan delivered stellar performances, securing a commanding 3-0 victory against Italy in their final group match of the World Team Squash Championship.

The trio dominated their respective matches to ensure a comprehensive victory.

Sixth-seeded Asim Khan opened the proceedings with a decisive win over Italy’s Umar Zaki Masood, registering scores of 11-8, 11-4, and 11-7.

Following Khan’s triumph, Pakistan’s silver medallist Noor Zaman outclassed Lorenzo Staurengo with scores of 11-4, 11-7, and 11-5.

British Junior Open winner Nasir Iqbal completed the sweep by overwhelming Daniel De Bartolomeo with a commanding 11-2, 11-1, 11-1 victory.

With three consecutive wins, Pakistan secured the top spot in Group H.

On Monday, Zaman and Iqbal had powered Pakistan to a 2-1 victory over Hong Kong, booking a place in the knockout stage of the World Team Squash Championship.

In a crucial match, Zaman battled to a hard-fought 3-2 win against Hong Kong’s Henry Leung, with scores of 7-11, 11-8, 5-11, 11-4, and 11-6, sealing the victory in just 44 minutes.

Meanwhile, Iqbal delivered a dominant 3-0 victory against Chi Him Wong, recording scores of 11-5, 11-5, and 11-5 in just 31 minutes, solidifying Pakistan’s position in the match.

However, Asim Khan narrowly lost to Hong Kong’s Alex Lau in a grueling 3-2 contest, with scores of 11-5, 7-11, 11-9, 11-13, and 11-4. Despite Khan’s defeat, Pakistan edged past Hong Kong to progress to the knockout stage.

Pakistan has won the World Team Squash Championship six times in ten appearances, with their most recent triumph in 1993.

Earlier in November, Asim Khan and Noor Zaman participated in the Professional Squash Association (PSA) Cape Town Open.