2021 South Asian event to be held in Pakistan: Pakistan bags squash gold but finish 4th in SA Games

KARACHI: Pakistan on Tuesday lifted men’s squash team event gold after beating India 2-1 in the decider to wrap-up its 13th South Asian Games journey with 32 gold, 41 silvers and 59 bronze medals in Nepal. Overall Pakistan finished fourth behind India (174-93-45), hosts Nepal (51-60-95) and Sri Lanka (40-83-128).

Then followed Bangladesh (19-32-87), Maldives (1-0-4) and Bhutan (0-7-13). The Games were formally closed at a glittering ceremony in Kathmandu on Tuesday which was also graced by Nepal’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishor Pokharei. The next South Asian Games (SAG) would be hosted by Pakistan in 2021. At the closing ceremony the president of South Asian Olympic Council (SAOC) Jeevan Ram Shrehtha handed over official flag of the Games to the Pakistan Olympic Association’s (POA) president Lt General (retd) Syed Arif Hasan.

This would be the third time when Pakistan would be hosting the region’s major spectacle. Pakistan has already hosted the Games in 1989 and 2004 in Islamabad.

Pakistan’s talented squash player Tayyab Aslam, who won individual and team gold in Nepal, led Pakistan’s contingent at the march-past at the closing ceremony.

On Tuesday Pakistan did a solid job to lift gold in the men’s squash team event by ousting India 2-1.

Tayyab Aslam started the fixture with a smart 3-1 victory over India’s Harindar with the set score being 5-11, 11-6, 11-4,12-10. He took 36 minutes to beat his rival despite losing his first set. However, India bounced back when Pakistan’s Asim Khan went down to Pardhan 2-3 with the set score of 9-11, 11-4, 4-11, 11-5, 4-11.

And it all now depended on seasoned Peshawar’s boy Farhan Mehboob and he lived up to the billing by beating Abhay Singh in straight sets to enable Pakistan secure gold medal. The set score was 11-8, 12-10, 11-5. This was the second gold for Pakistan in squash as Tayyab Aslam had claimed the first in individual event.

Meanwhile in women squash team event final Pakistan went down to India 1-2 and had to be content with silver. Madina Zafar, Faiza Zafar, Amna Fayyaz and Muqaddis Ashraf were part of Pakistan’s team.

Pakistan secured three silvers, two in men’s boxing and one in judo on the final day on Tuesday.

Pakistan lifted mixed team event judo silver on the final day to finish with two gold, three silvers and four bronze. The mixed team contained Humaira Ashiq, Amina Toyoda, Asma Bano, Beenish Khan, Mohammad

Hasnain, Nadeem Akram, Karamat Butt, Qaiser Khan, Shah Hussain and Hamid Ali.

Olympian Shah Hussain and Hamid Ali got gold, Qaiser Afridi, Karamat Butt and mixed team got silvers whole Hasnain, Beenish, Humaira and Amina claimed bronze. In men’s boxing Pakistan’s hope of lifting a gold ended when both its remaining two boxers Syed Mohammad Asif and Gul Zeb lost in the finals to Indian boxers. Asif was beaten by Sparsh Kumar and Gul went down to Krishan Vikas. Pakistan overall in boxing finished with three silvers and six bronze medals. The six bronze also include three bronze won by women boxers including Razia Bano, Rukhsana Parveen and Mehreen. Awais Ali Khan (81kg), Mehmood-ul-Hasan (75kg) and Naqeebullah (56kg) are the men’s bronze medallists.

National karatekas stole the limelight during their epic journey as they got six gold, eight silvers and five bronze.

In weightlifting, Pakistan did a fine job also by lifting five gold, two silvers and bronze and finished first.

In athletics Pakistan picked five gold, two silvers and six bronze. Javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem set a new SAG record with a fantastic throw of 86.29m which also put him in the 2020 Olympics. In wrestling the nation also delivered by securing three gold and four silvers. In wushu the country picked three gold, four silver and four bronze. In taekwondo Pakistan claimed three gold, six silvers and eight bronze.

In shooting Pakistan took two gold, five silver and six bronze. No medal came in table tennis while swimming was also the biggest disappointment as the nation took only one silver and two bronze in the major discipline. In tennis Pakistan got one silver and seven bronze.

SAG final medals table

Nations G S B Total

India 174 93 45 312

Nepal 51 60 95 206

Sri Lanka 40 83 128 251

Pakistan 32 41 59 132

B’desh 19 32 87 138

Maldives 1 0 4 5

Bhutan 0 7 13 20