KARACHI: Second seed Farhan Zaman and top seed Sadia Gul ended the year on positive note by capturing the men’s and women’s titles in the Rs1.3 million ninth DG Rangers Sindh National Open Squash Championships at the Rangers Jahangir Khan squash complex on Thursday.

Zaman, who is ranked 64th in the world, fought tooth and nail for 51 minutes to upset the top seed and world No 39 Nasir Iqbal in five gruelling games.

He won the duel 11-7, 12-10, 8-11, 2-11, 11-6.

The women’s final also went to full distance with Gul winning 11-4, 10-12, 11-6, 8-11, 11-9 against second seed Samar Anjum in 44 minutes.

It was a consolation for Anjum as she retained her second place. She had lost to Riffat Khan in the final last year.

Soon after the triumph, Sadia Gul dedicated her victory to Rangers personnels.

Zaman received a winning purse of Rs1,70,000 while Iqbal earned runner-up prize of Rs1,04,000 from the chief guest deputy director general Pakistan Rangers Sindh Brig Mohammad Afzal Khan.

Gul fetched Rs51,000 while Anjum took home Rs31,200.

A sum of Rs1.3 million was disbursed among all participants.

Squash legend Jahangir Khan, the guest of honour, awarded trophies to the winners and runners-up. Sector commander Sachal Rangers Brig Khurram Shahzad and Sindh Squash Association secretary Rashid Ahmed were also present at the prize distribution ceremony.

Results:

Men’s final: Farhan Zaman (PAF) bt Nasir Iqbal (Wapda) 11-7, 12-10, 8-11, 2-11, 11-6

Women’s final: Sadia Gul (SNGPL) bt Sammar Anjum (SNGPL) 11-4, 10-12, 11-6, 8-11, 11-9.

Published in Dawn, January 1st, 2016