Shoaib, Maria crowned champions

Published July 13, 2006

LAHORE, July 12: Shoaib Hasan annexed the national U-19 squash title overcoming Adil Atlas in the final in straight ways at the Punjab Squash Complex on Wednesday.

The final lasted only 25 minutes as Shoaib outclassed Adil 9-1, 9-5, 9-1.

Shoaib was aggressive from the outset and his court coverage and groundstrokes earned him points after points against a bewildered and hapless Adil.

After winning the first game in great style in 10 minutes, Shoaib was on the way to earn similar win in the second game. But from 4-0 down, Adil staged a comeback and levelled the score at 4-4 and then at 5-5.

But that was the end of resistance from Adil and who lost after hitting the board to lose 5-9 to give his rival 2-0 lead.

Adil put no resistance in the third game and managed just a point against a rampant Shoaib who went on to win the set and final 9-1. The third game lasted only five minutes.

Maria Toor clinched the Under-19 title defeating Zoya Khalid in another one-sided final that lasted 22 minutes. Maria came out winner with the score being 9/2, 9/6,9/3.

In all, 260 boys and 26 girls took part in the championship. From Punjab, 173 players fought in different age categories.

Results:

Boys

Under - 11. Ali Bukhari (Punjab) bt Tayyab Aslam (Punjab) 9/2, 9/4, 9/5.

Under-13: Hamza Bukhari (Punjab) bt Nasir Iqbal (PAF) 4/9, 9/5, 9/6, 10/8.

Under-15: Sheikh Saqib (Punjab) bt Aurangzeb Khan (Punjab) 9/5, 9/2, 9/2.

Under-17: Waqar Mehboob (NWFP) bt Raza Yaqoob (Punjab) 9/0, 9/4, 9/1.

Under-19: Shoaib Hasan (Punjab) bt Adil Atlas (NWFP) 9/1, 9/5, 9/1.

Girls.

Under-15: Roshna Mehboob (Punjab) bt Habiba Khan (Sindh) 9/0, 9/2, 9/0.

Under-19: Maria Toor (NWFP) bt Zoya Khalid (Punjab) 9/2, 9/6, 9/3.