INCHEON: Apart from hockey, it was a dismal day for Pakistan in other sports at the Asian Games on Tuesday.

On a day when Pakistan’s hockey team won a tense penalty shootout against Malaysia to advance to the final, there were defeats for the kabaddi and rugby teams as well as boxer Sanaullah.

Almost 24 hours after his team-mate Mohammad Waseem had assured Pakistan of a boxing medal, Sanaullah lost in the quarter-final of the men’s heavyweight category to South Korea’s Park Namhyeong.

Waseem had advanced to the semi-finals in the men’s flyweight category, ensuring at least a bronze medal, but Sanaullah lost on points to Park.

Park won each of the three rounds at the Seonhak Gymnasium, outpointing Sanaullah for a 30-27 victory in the 91kg category.

Pakistan’s kabaddi team had already booked a spot in the semi-finals before their final Group ‘A’ match against holders India in which they suffered a demoralising 11-23 loss at the Songodo Gymnasium.

India, who have won every title in the sport since it was introduced to the Games in 1990, dominated the first period, racing into a 17-4 lead.

Pakistan edged the second period 7-6 but India’s 11-point lead in the first proved too much for Nasir Ali’s side to overcome. “The Indians are at a very high standard in Kabaddi and they are getting regular international exposure,” Nasir said after the match.

Pakistan, who finished third at the last edition of the Games in Guangzhou, face 2010 silver medallists Iran in the last four. “It will be a tough game but we’re eagerly looking forward to it and will give our best,” Nasir added.

Unlike the kabaddi team, the rugby sevens team is making its debut at the Games but they had a forgettable first day at Asia’s Olympic-size event.

Two successive losses to Hong Kong and China meant Pakistan’s campaign came to an end as soon as it started.

Shing Kam Yiu scored 15 as Hong Kong humiliated Pakistan 72-0 in the first match at the Namdong Asiad Rugby Field before China beat them 48-0 in their second Group ‘B’ match.

Pakistan will meet Philippines in their final preliminary round match on Wednesday.

Also on Wednesday, the volleyball team faces Saudi Arabia in 11th-place playoff after Pakistan lost in straight sets 25-19, 26-24, 25-19 to Chinese Taipei at the Songnim Gymnasium on Tuesday.

Pakistan’s fortunes weren’t any better at the Suwon Gymnasium where the men’s doubles table tennis team of Asim Qureshi and Saleem Abbas lost their last-32 match 3-0 to Japan’s Jun Mizutani and Seiya Kishikawa.

At the Gyeonggido Shooting Range, meanwhile, Pakistan’s Usman Chand once again trumped his more experienced team-mate Khurram Inam in the second day of the skeet shooting qualification.

Usman added to his overall score of 68 on Tuesday with rounds of 24 and 23 to finish 14th with a gross score of 115, eight behind China’s Fan Zhang who finished top. Khurram’s rounds of 23 and 22 saw him finish 23rd with an overall score of 112.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2014