LAHORE: Top-ranked Murad Ali of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, defending champion Mohammad Ali Larosh, Muqeet Tahir and Irfan Saeed reached the men’s singles semi-finals of the 59th National Badminton Championship here on Friday.

Mahoor Shahzad and Ghazala Siddique (Wapda), Alja Tariq (Balochistan) and Sumiya Tariq (Army), Khizra Rasheed and Mehmoona (Wapda), and Saima Waqas (Wapda) and Palwasha Bashir (Sindh) reached the women’s doubles semi-finals.

In the men’s doubles, Yasir Ali and Abuzar Rasheed (HEC), Azeem Sarwar (Wapda) and Murad Ali (KP), Irfan Saeed and Zunain Javed (Wapda), and Raja Hasnain (New Khan) and Raja Zulqarnain (Wapda) qualified for the semi-finals.

The finals of all categories were being played late Friday night.

Results (quarter-finals):

Men’s singles: Murad Ali (KP) bt Azeem Sarwar (Wapda) 21-10, 20-22, 21-19; M. Ali Larosh (Wapda) bt Anjum Bashir (New Khan) 18-21, 21-14, 21-18; Muqeet Tahir (Wapda) bt Raja Hasnain (New Khan) 21-13, 21-19; Irfan Saeed (Wapda) bt Raja Zulqarnain (Wapda) by 14-21, 21-19, 21-12

Women’s singles: Mahoor Shahzad (Wapda) bt Amal Muneeb (Punjab) 21-7, 21-8; Alja Tariq (Balochistan) bt Bushra Qayum (Wapda)21-13, 8-3 -- retired hurt; Palwasha Bashir (Sindh) bt Ammarah Ishtiaq (Sindh) 21-11, 21-11; Ghazala Siddique (Wapda) bt Sehra Akram (Wapda) 19-21, 21-11, 21-10

Women’s doubles: Mahoor Shahzad/Ghazala Siddique (Wapda) bt Aqsa Zikriya (SNGPL)/Sidra Irfan (Wapda) 21-6, 21-5; Alja Tariq (Balochistan)/Sumiya Tariq (Army) bt Huma Javed/Sehar Akram (Wapda) 21-14, 21-14; Khizra Rasheed/Mehmoona (Wapda) bt Ammarah/Rosheen (Sindh) 21-18, 21-13; Saima Waqas (Wapda)/Palwasha Bashir (Sindh) bt Hadia Ashfaq/Quratulain (HEC) 22-20, 21-6

Men’s doubles: Yasir Ali/Abuzar Rasheed (HEC) bt Awais Zahid/M Ali Larosh (Wapda) 21-19, 18-21, 22-20; Azeem Sarwar (Wapda)/Murad Ali (KP) bt Muqeet Tahir (Wapda)/Kashif Sulehri (PB) 21-9, 19-21, 21-14; Irfan Saeed/Zunain Javed (Wapda) bt Anjum Bashir (New Khan)/Hashir Bashir (Wapda) 21-11, 21-12; Raja Hasnain (New Khan)/Raja Zulqarnain (Wapda) bt Amir Saeed/Atiq Ch. (Wapda) 21-14, 19-21, 21-15

Mixed doubles: Raja Hassan (New Khan)/Laiba Masoud (Wapda) bt Ahmed Faizan (Wapda)/Aisha Akram (Sindh) 21-17, 21-14.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2022