NAGOYA, Japan: Pakistan have reached the semi-finals of the men’s squash team event at the 2026 Asian Games after defeating South Korea 2-0 in the quarter-final on Wednesday.
The Green-shirts secured the victory through strong performances from Mohammad Ashab Irfan and Noor Zaman, who won their respective matches to complete the tie without requiring a third game.
Irfan provides perfect start
Irfan, who had already won a bronze medal in the men’s singles competition, gave Pakistan an early advantage by defeating South Korea’s Jooyoung Na 11-5, 11-8, 11-8.
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The Pakistani player controlled the opening game before maintaining his composure in the next two sets to complete a straight-games victory.
His win moved Pakistan closer to the semi-finals, with Noor Zaman then sealing the overall victory.
Noor Zaman finishes tie
Pakistan’s top-ranked player overcame Seojin Oh 11-4, 11-5, 8-11, 11-2 to secure a 2-0 team victory.
Noor dominated the opening two games with attacking play before Oh responded in the third game to briefly keep South Korea’s hopes alive.
However, Noor regained control in the fourth game, winning 11-2 to close out the match and confirm Pakistan’s place in the last four.
Nasir Iqbal was part of Pakistan’s squad but was not required to play after Irfan and Noor secured the decisive victories.
