KARACHI: Top seed and defending champion Tayyab Aslam ended the year on a winning note routing fifth seed Ammad Fareed in thrilling final to retain the men’s title in the $15,000 12th DG Rangers Sindh National Squash Championship at the Sindh Rangers Jahangir Khan Squash Complex on Saturday.

Tayyab was extended to four games by his opponent before cruising to 11-7, 4-11, 11-8, 11-9 victory in exactly an hour to win his third title of the year.

The women’s title went to sixth seed Moqaddas Ashraf who accounted for unseeded Rushana Mehboob, also in four games final, 11-5, 11-5, 3-11, 11-8 in 25-minutes.

This is Moqaddas’ first title of the year and also maiden success in the Rangers event. The title had fallen vacant due to non-participation of holder Faiza Zafar.

Tayyab, the Pakistan No 1, made comeback in the third and fourth games after being tied one-all in the best of five encounter to retain the title.

After losing the opener Ammad drew level by taking the next and surged 6-2 up in the third but could not maintain the pace squandering the lead 6-9 before losing 8-11 to trail 1-2 in the match.

Again, Ammad was in a position to neutralise as he was 8-3 up in the fourth game from where he saw lead slipped from his hands and lost 8-11 and the match.

Tayyab received a winning purse of Rs283,560 and trophy while Ammad fetched runner-up purse of Rs173,472 and trophy.

Moqaddas was awarded Rs70,890 while Rushana took home Rs43,368.

The DG Rangers Sindh Maj Gen Mohammad Saeed, who graced the occasion, gave away the prizes. Squash legend Jahangir Khan, Sector Commander Sachal Rangers Brig Abdul Ghaffar and secretary Sindh Squash Association Rashid Ahmed were also present.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2018