Indian women win squash gold

Pakistani men and Indian women dominated the field in the team squash section of the ninth SAF games that concluded in Islamabad on Tuesday.

As expected, the Indian men had to settle for silver against the higher-rated Pakistani trio, while the Indian women predictably won the gold medal in the team event.

Playing their last round robin league matches against Pakistan in both sections, Indian women exhibited an array of strokes as their rivals were also considered to be minnows amongst the SAARC countries.

Young and promising schoolgirl, Alisha Mashruwalla fought gallantly before going down 9-4, 9-5, 3-9, 8-10, 2-9 to  Maria Toor in the first match. The British Open champion and World Junior Championship quarterfinalists, Joshna Chinappa was unchecked as she walked into the glass court and thrashed her opponent Aliya Sarfraz, the top player in Pakistan.

After claiming the first game at 9-1, Chinappa took just seven minutes to take the second at 9-0. In the third too, Chinappa was the better player and won the game 9-2.

Mekhala Subedar won the second rubber for India beating Muqaddas Ashraf 9-0, 9-1, 9-1.

The Pakistan-India men's matches went on the expected lines as the former won the first two rubbers without much  ado.

However, Ritwik Bhattacharya got into his groove in the third game where he took six points off the top-seeded Mansoor Zaman, ranked 14th in the world. Bhattacharya eventually lost 0-9, 1-9, 6-9.

Earlier, Manish Chotrani lost 3-9, 1-9, 0-9 to Farrukh Zaman.