July 02, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 27, 1429

LAHORE, July 1: Wapda beat National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) 3-1 in the finals of the men’s group event in the 11th Amir Abdullah Khan Rokhari badminton tournament on Tuesday, while in the women’s group event the result was reverse as the bankers beat Wapda 3-0.

Defending women’s champion and national champion Sara Khan led National Bank’s charge in the women’s best of five event, sweeping aside Wapda’s Sadia Arshad 21-13, 21-15.

The doubles pairing of Ayesha Akram and Palwasha Basheer beat Uzma Butt-Farzana Ali 21-13, 19-21, 21-12 in a keenly contested game that saw the winning pair relying on a series of backhand and forehand smashes to win long rallies.

Ayesha Akram, NBP team captain, proceeded to demolish Aneeqa Rana 21-10, 21-12 in the final match, rarely breaking into a sweat as her opponent was found lacking in pace to counter Ayesha’s drop shots.

In the men’s event, Wapda’s Wajid Ali beat NBP’s Naveed by 21-16, 21-9.

NBP fought back in the doubles match, with Tahir Ishaq and Waqas Ahmed seeing off Rizwan Rana and Muhammed Atiq by 21-15, 14-21,21-16.

Wapda again took the lead when Hashir Bashir beat Ali Nawab 21-14, 21-16, and it was left to Wajid Ali and Hashir Bashir to seal the match by beating NBP’s Naveed & Danish by 21-14, 21-16.