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| July 20, 2005 | Wednesday | Jumadi-us-Sani 12, 1426 |
Bankers dethrone Wapda
LAHORE, July 19: National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) dethroned Wapda to win the women’s team title of the 8th All-Pakistan Ameer Abdullah Khan Rokri badminton tournament winning the final 3-1 on Tuesday.
Top seed Asma Butt gave Wapda 1-0 lead after overcoming strong challenge of Saira Khan (NBP) in the first singles 10-13, 13-11, 11-6.
Asma, after losing the first game, struggled in the second and managed to restore the parity.
Using her vast experience, Asma carved out an easy win in the third game to complete the tally. But it proved the first and last win for Wapda.
Ayesha and Saima of the bankers went through some anxious moments before toppling Paleshaw and Aniqa Rana 15-9, 17-14 in the first doubles to make the score one-all.
Winning the first game easily, the winners faced stiff challenge in the second.
Wapda had 12-8 lead and were on the brink of taking the match into the third.
But Paleshaw and Aniqa made some unforced errors as Ayesha and Saima recovered to match the score at 14-all before making the score 1-1.
Ayesha Akram put NBP 2-1 ahead for the first time in the final when she outclassed Sara in the second singles 11-10, 11-1.
Farzana and Sara Khan sealed the fate of the final beating the Butt sisters Asma and Uzma after a marathon fight 15-12, 9-15, 15-12 in the second doubles.
Realising the importance of the match, Wapda made a good start taking 8-4 lead in the first game. But Farzana and Sara were not ready to allow the rivals to enter the fifth match.
They braced the game and caught up with Wapda’s pair at 10-all and lost only two more points to fold up the game.
The losers won the second game easily but again faltered in the third and lost the match and the title, too.
Meanwhile, the women’s and men’s singles events also started.
The winners entered pre-quarterfinals.
In the ladies section, top seed Asma Butt, Sara, Ayesha Akram and Uzama Butt all came out winners.
In the best match of the day, Anum of Punjab ousted Salma of Railways 11-1, 10-11, 13-12. The match lasted for one hour.
Results:
Women’s team event final: NBP beat Wapda 3-1. Asma Butt (Wapda) bt Sara Khan (NBP) 10-13, 13-11, 11-6; Ayesha-Saima (NBP) Paleshaw-Aniqa Rana 15-9, 17-14; Ayesha Akram (NBP) bt Sara (Wapda) 11-10, 11-1; Farzana-Sara Khan (NBP) bt Asma Butt-Uzma Butt (NBP) 15-12, 9-15, 15-12.
Women’s singles: Anum bt Salma 11-1, 10-11, 13-12; Asma Butt bt Sahir 11-1, 11-1; Shahnaz bt Atiqa 11-4, 11-0; Sara bt Aiman 11-7, 11-5; Ayesha Akram bt Saima 11-0, 11-1; Uzma bt Razia 11-2, 11-1; Yasmin Shaheen bt Irum Shahzadi 11-5, 11-2; Naila Naima 11-1, 11-0; Paleshaw bt Kiran 11-3, 11-6; Zahida bt Ayesha Anwar 11-1,11-0.
Men’s singles: Kashif Raja bt Arshad Khan 15-1, 15-2; Wasim bt Bilal 15-2, 15-3; Mohammad Atiq bt Mohammad Ali 15-9, 15-2; Ashraf Masih bt Nadeem 15-9, 15-2; Intikhab bt Faisal Sarwar 15-7, 15-9.
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