March 20, 2007	Tuesday	Safar 30, 1428

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LAHORE, March 19: Sindh, Islamabad, NWFP and Punjab qualified for the 50th national badminton championship men's team event quarter-finals at the Iqbal Park Sports Complex on Monday.

Punjab earned a creditable 3-1 win against Army.

Faisal Sarwar (Punjab ) stretched to three games beating Irfan (Army) 21-14, 11-21,21-18.

The pair of Danish-Faisal doubled the lead beating Akram-Qasim in the doubles 21-13,21-15.

Army came back to reduce the lead 2-1 when Waqas Zahid chalked up win against Ahmed Nazir 22-20,19-21,21-16. But that was the first and last laugh of Army as Umer Rabbani-Ahmed (Punjab ) completed his victory beating Waqas-Javed 20-22,19-21,23-21.

Islamabad also earned identical (3-1) margin win against PMAD. Shabbar Hussain (Isb) outclassed Muhammad Ali (PMAD) 21-12,21-9 in the first singles. Shabbar with Mohsin made it 2-0 when toppled Abdul Salam-Asif Hussain (PMAD)21-18,21-17. Asif Hussain gave PMAD first and last win crushing Haroon 21-15,21-13, before Mansoor-Haroon completed the win after a grueling fight in the second doubles against Muhammad Ali-Tanveer with the score being 15-21,21-14,21-13.

Results:

Men team's event:

NWFP bt Balochistan 3-0:

Masood Ahmed bt Ajab Khan 21-7,21-10; Hayat Ullah-Amir bt Ahmed-Farhan Kashif 21-18,21-17; Nadeem bt Ahmed Nawaz 21-12,8-21,21-12.

Sindh bt FATA 3-0:

Adnan Siddique bt Salman Akbar 21-15,21-14; Adnan Siddique-Imran Moshib bt Naz Akhtar-Salman Akbar 21-4,21-9; Imran Mohib bt Naz Akhtar 21-10,21-3.

Women quarter finals:

Railway beat Sindh 3-0:

Yasmin Shaheen bt Monisha 21-19,21-12; Sumaira-Yasmin bt Mohwish-Humaira 21-12/21-14; Salma bt Mehwish 21-15,21-2.

Pakistan Army bt Punjab 3-0: Aqasa Razaq bt Iram Shahzadi 21-7,21-7; Sana Nazir-Aqsa Razaq 21-9,21-10; Sana Nazir bt Asiya 21-9,21-8.