KARACHI: Pakistan’s Mohammad Asim Khan reached the quarter-finals of the Venus ABC Open International Squash Championship after defeating Malaysia’s Mohammad Syafiq Kamal 3-1 in the second round here on Thursday.
The eighth seed took 48 minutes to win the encounter 11-2, 10-12, 11-7, 11-6 at the Asif Nawaz Squash Complex, Defence Authority Creek Club, where the tournament is being organised by the Sindh Squash Association.
Asim, who received a bye in the opening round, dominated the first game before Kamal fought back to take the second. The Pakistani recovered to win the next two games and secure his place in the last eight.
All nine Pakistani players competing in the championship suffered defeats on the opening day, leaving Asim as the sole home player to progress beyond the opening round, according to the tournament reports.
In the men’s event, England’s top seed Curtis Malik defeated Japan’s Naoki Hayashi, while Egypt’s Ziad Ibrahim beat compatriot Yassin Elshafei. Fourth seed Yassin Shohdy of Egypt and fifth seed Perry Malik of England were also among the seeded players in the draw.
In the women’s competition, top seed Lucy Turmel of England was among the leading contenders. Malaysia’s Ainaa Amani and the Netherlands’ Tessa ter Sluis were also competing in the event.
The championship features men’s and women’s competitions, each carrying a prize package of $41,000. The finals are scheduled for Sunday, October 25.
Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2026
