Pakistan has made an impressive start in the Asian Games, securing victories in cricket, kabaddi, and weightlifting. In men’s cricket, a remarkable batting performance by Aamir Jamal and Khushdil Shah’s effective bowling led Pakistan to a 68-run win over Hong Kong in the quarter-final. Despite a shaky start at 54-5, Aamir’s explosive innings of 41 runs off 16 balls propelled Pakistan to a total of 160. The spin bowling attack, including Arafat Minhas, Sufiyan Muqeem, Qasim Akram, and Khushdil, then bundled Hong Kong for just 92 runs. Pakistan will face either Afghanistan or Sri Lanka in the semi-final on October 6.
In kabaddi, Pakistan secured a victory against South Korea in their Group ‘B’ match. Meanwhile, weightlifter Furqan Anwar claimed the top spot in the men’s 81 kg Group ‘A’ competition, scoring a total of 299 points with an impressive performance in both snatch and clean and jerk rounds.
The country’s only representation in athletics at the Games, Mohammad Afzal, finished 11th in the men’s triple jump event. However, the badminton events saw Pakistani players facing defeats, with Mahoor Shahzad, Ali Murad, and Mohammad Irfan Saeed Bhatti losing their respective matches in singles. In women’s doubles, the pair of Mahoor and Ghazala Siddique faced a defeat against Thailand’s duo.
In squash, Noor Zaman and Mehwish Ali were beaten in the mixed doubles, while Farhan Zaman and Sadia Gul suffered a loss in their respective matches. In boxing, Zohaib Rasheed faced a defeat against Uzbekistan’s Hasanboy Dusmatov in the men’s 46-51kg quarter-final.
Pakistan’s multifaceted success in various sports at the Asian Games highlights the country’s strong performance and competitive spirit on the regional stage.
