Pakistan’s top squash players, Noor Zaman and Nasir Iqbal, made an impressive start to their campaigns at the 2025 Asian Squash Championships, advancing to the pre-quarterfinal stage of the individual event with commanding victories.
Both players, who received byes in the opening round, showcased their form in their first matches of the tournament. Fifth seed Noor Zaman overcame a brief challenge to dispatch Singapore’s Aaron-Jon Widjaja Liang 11-7, 6-11, 11-6, 11-3. He will now face Malaysia’s Joachim Chuah, who will have the home crowd behind him, in the round of 16.
Meanwhile, seventh seed Nasir Iqbal produced a clinical performance, sweeping past South Korea’s Jaejin Yoo in straight games, 11-5, 11-2, 11-4. Iqbal will next face either Wasern Low of Malaysia or Lai Cheuk Nam of Hong Kong China for a spot in the quarterfinals.
The victories mark a strong opening for Pakistan as they pursue their tenth individual title at the Asian Squash Championships. The tournament’s individual competition runs from June 17 to 21, with the stakes rising as the knockout rounds progress.
Following the singles event, attention will turn to the Asian Team Squash Championship, also set to take place in Kuching from June 23 to 26. Pakistan has been drawn in Group B alongside the Philippines, Singapore, and South Korea. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the quarterfinals.
With early success in the singles and a promising outlook for the team event, Pakistan’s squash contingent has laid a solid foundation for a successful campaign in Malaysia.
