Daily Times

LAHORE: Haris Qasim exhibited high quality squash to win the Under-19 title of the All Pakistan National Junior Squash Championship beating Oan Abbas 11-3, 11-9, 11-6 in the final here on Wednesday. In an all Punjab final, Haris seemed in hurry in wrapping up the one sided match in just 22 minutes. Haris thrilled the audience with his agility and vast reach in far corners of the court, especially close to the tin by picking up some low balls. Abbas tried to engage Haris in rallies but the winner cut down all such efforts with aggressive shooting with mid court play. “It was an easy win, I was expecting a tough challenge from Oan who could not sustain the pressure which I mounted with my aggressive approach,” said jubilant Haris after the match. He said he was confident to show consistency by producing good results in coming national junior squash events.

Farhan Hashmi of SNGPL won the Under-17 title by routing Saqib Iqbal of KP in straight sets 11-9, 11-3, 11-7. Farhan labored for 31 minutes to sniff a weaker challenge of Saqib who fell short of expectations in the ultimate showdown. “It was a one sided final but I enjoyed playing it and the win has made me happy”, said Farhan after the match. He said his strategy to keep Saqib under pressure right from the beginning was the key factor of his victory.

Published in Daily Times, March 15^th 2018.