BIRMINGHAM: National players Nasir Iqbal and Faiza Zafar starred in the Mixed Double Squash event in the ongoing Commonwealth Games as the duo outclassed their Sri Lankan opponents to keep the medal hopes alive for Pakistan.
Pakistan’s pair of Nasir and Faiza started their mixed double campaign on a high as they outclassed Sri Lanka’s Sinaly Chanithma and Wakeel Shamil 2-0 to march into the next round.
In a one-sided clash, the duo of Nasir and Faiza dominated Sri Lankan opponents for the majority of the match before running with a consolidating victory with the scores of 11-10 and 11-5.
Another Pakistan pair of Tayyab Aslam and Amna Fayyaz, on the other hand, remained unable to follow the footsteps of their fellows as the pair suffered a crushing 2-0 defeat at the hands of Barbados’ mix Best Meagan and Cumberbatch Khamai.
Besides Squash, Pakistan lost to Australia in the Badminton Women’s doubles event as the top pair of Mahoor Shahzad and Ghazala Siddiqui remained clueless against Australian opponents; suffering a crushing 2-0 defeat.
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BIRMINGHAM: National player Faiza Zafar returned an unwanted outcome in the plate semi-final of the Women’s Single Squash competition as India’s Sunayna Sara Kuruvilla outclassed her 3-0.
Faiza, who marched further in the competition after defeating Guyana’s Ashley Khalil in the plate quarter-final on Monday, failed to continue the momentum in the last four.
In a one-sided clash, India’s Kuruvilla handed a crushing 3-0 defeat before dominating Faiza for the majority of the match.
Another squash player Amna Fayyaz, on the other hand, will compete in her respective plate semi-finals tonight.
It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan’s wait for the medal in the Commonwealth Games 2022 continues as several national athletes have already been ruled out of the medal race.
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BIRMINGHAM: National boxer Zohaib Rasheed has been unluckily ruled out of the ongoing Commonwealth Games following an error by the management in the draw of the competition.
According to the details, the matter first came under notice when Zohaib’s name was missing from the draws of the competition.
The organization committee then admitted their mistake when Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) raised their concerns about the error, the latter claimed.
Despite the fact that the matter was dragged out for three days, the mistake was not rectified, and on competition day, the organising committee informed PBF that the boxer could not be accommodated in the competition.
“This is extremely frustrating and disappointing; it is mental torture for the player who has been in doubt for three days as a result of someone else’s error,” PBF secretary Nasir Tung stated.
“They’ve done injustice to our player and we are not going to stay silent on this issue. Pakistan will not only write to the International Boxing Association (IBA) and the CWG Federation but will also seek compensation from the organizers through the International Court of Arbitration for Sport,” he concluded.
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BIRMINGHAM: National swimmer Haseeb Tariq and sprinter Shajar Abbas failed to make a mark in their respective competitions at the Commonwealth Games 2022 as the medal drought for Pakistan continues.
In the 50-meter freestyle Men’s swimming competition, Haseeb failed to make an impact as he finished 43rd in the race. Following his dismal performance, the national swimmer has been ruled out of the medal race.
Renowned national sprinter Shajar, on the other hand, offered a glimmer of hope for the country as he finished fourth in the first round of the Men’s 100-meter race, amassing the finish line in 10.38 seconds.
The sprinter then could not carry his momentum in the second round as he managed to secure the 27th position which resulted in him crashing out of the medal expedition.
Furthermore, only national boxer Mehreen Baloch also failed in the event as Sri Lanka’s Sajeewani Coorey outclassed the former by 5-0. Whereas, two national squash players Amna Fayyaz and Faiza Zafar will be competing in their respective plate semi-finals.
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BIRMINGHAM: Amna Fayyaz reached the Women’s Singles Plate Squash semi-final as she outclassed Trinidad and Tobago’s Charlotte Knaggs 3-0 to keep Pakistan’s medal hopes alive in the Commonwealth Games 2022.
Amna eased past her opponent in the quarter-final round with the scores of 11-7, 11-4, and 11-5 after her compatriot Faiza Zafar achieved a sensational win earlier in the same round.
Amna will now face Mary Fung-a-Fat of Guyana in today’s women’s singles semifinal. Meanwhile, Pakistani duo, Amna and Faiza, will compete in the Women’s Doubles Round-of-16 against Malaysia’s Arnold Rachel and Azman Aifa on August 4 in the Commonwealth Games.
READ: Pakistan’s Ilyas reaches quarter finals of Commonwealth Games Boxing
BIRMINGHAM: Pakistani Boxer Ilyas Hussain qualified for the quarter-final round of the boxing event in the Commonwealth Games as he defeated Trinidad and Tobago’s Anthony Shawn Joseph in the Featherweight 57kg category, here on Monday.
Ilyas edged his opponent in the Round-of-16 bout after a 3-2 split decision. The bout involved intense offensive and defensive moves by both the competitors with the winner being decided on a point basis after three rounds of the grappling fight.
With the win, Ilyas keeps Pakistan’s medal hopes alive in the Commonwealth Games 2022 as he will now face England’s Jude Gallagher in the third quarter-final of the boxing event on August 3.
READ: Pakistan’s Faiza beats Guyana’s Ashley in CWG Squash plate quarters
BIRMINGHAM: National player Faiza Zafar shone in the Women’s Single Squash competition as she secured a convincing victory over her Guyanese opponent Ashley Khalil 3-2 in the Commonwealth Games 2022.
Amid Pakistan’s dismal show in the ongoing Commonwealth Games, Faiza provided the nation a moment to cherish as she outclassed her opponent 3-2 in the plate quarter-final.
In a competitive quarter-final, Faiza held her nerves calm to edge past Ashley 3-2 with the scores of 11-7, 11-6, and 11-2.
On the other hand, another national player Amna Fayyaz will be competing with Trinidad and Tobago’s Charlotte Knags in the plate quarter-final tonight.
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BIRMINGHAM: Pakistan women’s team skipper Bismah Maroof lauded the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Commonwealth Games management’s role in taking good care of her infant daughter while disclosing that it was not easy to travel along with the baby.
Speaking to this reporter, Bismah claimed that the face-off against the arch-rivals was always exciting and the team tried its best to win the tough matches.
“Matches against India were always exciting and entertaining,” she said. ” We lost the tough games yet we tried our best to win those matches”
Pakistan Women’s hopes of winning a medal at the Commonwealth Games 2022 have been dashed after they were defeated by Barbados in their first match and then faced a crushing by India by 8 wickets the other day. The Green Shirts currently sit last in their group.
“We know that we fell short of people’s expectations but in the future, we’ll perform well” she added.
Talking about her work-life balance with regard to her daughter’s care while participating in the event, Bismah said that her mother helped a great deal in taking care of her baby.
“My mother has accompanied me at the event and she assists greatly in caring for the child,” she said.
“PCB and Commonwealth Games management have provided immense support in taking care of my daughter” she added.
“It is not easy to travel with the baby yet we try our best that we do not have to face any difficulty” she concluded.
It is pertinent to mention here that Bismah had already travelled with her daughter and mother to New Zealand for the ICC Women’s World Cup held earlier this year thanks to the PCB’s maternity policy.
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BIRMINGHAM: Pakistan’s ace athlete Arshad Nadeem has reached Birmingham from London to participate in the Javelin-throw event at the Commonwealth Games 2022.
Arshad, who secured the fifth position in the recently held World Athletics Championships, will officially start his Commonwealth campaign on August 5 with the qualifying round of the javelin-throw competition.
Arshad underwent the registration process and mandatory Covid-19 testing at the Games’ welcome centre after he reached here. He was then moved to Shackelton Village after returning a negative corona test.
“I am satisfied with my performance in the Athletics Championships. I have prepared well for the Commonwealth Games,” said Arshad on the occasion.
He also requested the whole nation to pray for his success at the event.
It is pertinent to mention here that Arshad created history for Pakistan as he became the first athlete from the country to reach a final at World Athletics Championships. Whereas, he finished fifth at the Tokyo Olympics last year.
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BIRMINGHAM: The captain of Pakistan Men’s Hockey Team Umar Bhutta backed the Green Shirts’ performance in their opening match of the Commonwealth Games against South Africa.
Bhutta, while talking to this reporter here backed Pakistan’s 2-2 draw against South Africa and stated that the national team did well as they did not lose points, while also claiming that the team will go with full strength in their match against New Zealand.
“The national hockey team played well against South Africa. The match ended in a draw so we did not lose points,” Bhutta said.
“We will go all-out in the second match against New Zealand and win the match to make it to the semi-finals,” he maintained.
National Hockey team’s head coach Siegfried Aikman, on the other hand, remained hopeful to overcome the mistakes made in the first match and take on New Zealand with lifted spirits.
“We will work on the mistakes made in the first match and give our best in the next game. Our dribbling is good but we couldn’t get the penalty corner so we need to work on that,” Aikman stated.
“Pakistani players have the hunger to score goals and they are a really good side,” he concluded.
It is pertinent to mention here that Afraz Hakeem’s late strike in the closing moments of the game, allowed the Green Shirts to secure a 2-2 draw against South Africa. Rizwan Ali was the other scorer, who struck in the first quarter.
READ: Afraz strikes late, Pakistan secure draw against South Africa in CWG