Pakistani players performed well in the shooting and tennis competitions in the ongoing Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, China, and managed to register important wins on Sunday.
In the shooting discipline, Pakistan’s GM Bashir secured the eighth position after scoring 282 points with eight centres off target.
Bashir recorded 98 points in eight seconds, then 97 in six seconds and 87 in four seconds.
To qualify for the final, Bashir needs to finish in the top six.
The second round of the qualification phase will be played on Monday.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Mehak Fatima failed to qualify for the next round in women’s 10m air rifle. She finished 40th in the qualifying round.
On the other hand, Pakistan got off to a flying start in the tennis singles and doubles.
In women’s tennis singles, Ushna Sohail handed a straight-sets defeat to Tajikistan’s Sumaya Tukhtaeva 6-2, 6-3.
Another Pakistani tennis player, Sarah Ibrahim emerged victorious against Qatar’s Hind Almudahka after a three-set battle 6-2, 6(5)-7, 6-3.
Sarah won the first set comfortably 6-2, but Almudahka made a comeback in the second set — which lasted for more than an hour — and won it after a close encounter 7-6(5). The decisive set was won by the Pakistani 6-3 after a 51-minute long clash.
Sunday was Pakistan’s day in tennis, after triumphs in women’s singles, Pakistani continued its excellent form and beat Mongolia in straight sets 6-0, 6-1 in mixed doubles.
Pakistani duo Sarah Ibrahim and Aqeel Khan — who lost to Uzbekistan's Khumoyon Sultanov in men's singles — came over Mongolia’s Anand Gankhuyag and Khatansuikh Batbayar and won the tie in just 48 minutes.
Faizan Lakhani Faizan Lakhani is Deputy Editor (Sports) at Geo News.
