KARACHI: Justifying their top billing, star studded Wapda completed a fine double when they swept the men’s and women’s titles by getting the better of SNGPL in both the finals of the Jubilee Insurance Roshan Khan Team Trophy at the PN Roshan Khan – Jahangir Khan Squash Complex here on Monday.

Top seed Wapda outpaced fourth seed SNGPL 2-0 to clinch the men’s title. Nasir Iqbal took just 18-minutes to whip Asim Khan 11-3, 11-2, 11-6 while country’s top player Farhan Mehboob overcome fourth ranked Ammad Fareed 11-8, 11-6, 11-7 in 27-minute duel.

Country to the men’s, the Wapda women’s were stretched to limits on way to winning 2-1 over second seed SNGPL to land women’s crown.

Wapda had a bad start when Riffat Khan lost the opener to Madina Zafar 5-11, 5-11, 8-11. They survived a scare when top seed Sammer Anjum came out from the jaws of defeat winning the fifth and decisive game against second seed Sadia Gul to draw level in the match. She won the battle 11-5, 14-12, 5-11, 7-11, 11-8 that lasted 47-minutes. Muqaddas Ashraf wrapped up the match when she sent Noor-ul-Huda packing 11-5, 11-3, 11-4.

In the men’s classification matches, Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa handed a 2-0 defeat to Punjab to seize fifth place while Sindh routed Baloc­histan 2-0 to grab seventh position and avoid finishing at the bottom.

Tahir Ahmed, managing director of the Jubilee General Insurance, who graced the finals, awarded gold, silver and bronze medals to the winnin teams.

Also present on the occasion among others were squash legend and chairman of the Sindh Squash Association, Jahangir Khan, senior vice-president of the Pakistan Squash Federation AVM Shahid Alvi, SSA officials Tahir Khanzada and Rashid Ahmad.

Results:

Men’s final:

Wapda bt SNGPL 2-0

Nasir Iqbal bt M Asim Khan 11-3, 11-2 11-6; Farhan Mehboob bt Amaad Fareed 11-8, 11-6, 11-7.

Playoff for fifth-sixth positions:

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bt Punjab 2-0

Zeeshan Khan bt Salman Saleem 12-10, 6-11, 13-11, 5-11, 11-8; Asif Khalil bt Abdul Basit 6-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-3.

Playoff for seventh-eighth positions:

Sindh bt Balochistan 2-0

Mahad Javed bt Abbas Ali 3-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-6; Noman Khan bt Jahanzeb Yousuf 11-5, 11-5, 13-11.

Final team positions:

1-Wapda (gold), 2-SNGPL (silver), 3-PAF and ZTBL (bronze), 5-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 6-Punjab, 7-Sindh, 8-Balochistan.

Women’s final:

Wapda bt SNGPL 2-1

Riffat Khan lost to Madina Zaffar 5-11, 5-11, 8-11; Sammer Anjum bt Sadia Gul 11-5, 14-12, 5-11, 7-11, 11-8; Muqaddas Ashraf bt Noor-ul-Huda 11-5, 11-3, 11-4.

Final team positions:

1-Wapda (gold), 2-SNGPL (silver), 3-ZTBL and Sindh (bronze), 5-Balochistan.

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2017