ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Muhammad Ashab Irfan and Noor Zaman will face each other in the men’s singles bronze-medal play-off after both players were defeated in their respective semifinals at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 on Saturday.
The all-Pakistan third-place play-off will ensure Pakistan secures a medal in the individual squash event at the Asian Games, marking the country’s return to the individual squash medal table after 17 years.
In the first semifinal, India’s Abhay Singh defeated Muhammad Ashab Irfan 3-0 in a 35-minute contest. Ashab fought hard throughout the match but Abhay controlled the proceedings to win 11-3, 12-10 and 11-6.
In the second semifinal, Malaysia’s Eain Yow Ng defeated Pakistan’s Noor Zaman 3-0 in 26 minutes.
Eain Yow took the opening game 11-7 and then strengthened his grip on the match, winning the second 11-2 before closing out the contest 11-4 in the third.
Despite the semifinal defeats, Pakistan’s two young players have produced an impressive performance in the individual event, reaching the last four and ensuring that the country will take home a medal from the men’s singles competition.
The bronze-medal play-off will be an all-Pakistan affair, with Noor Zaman facing Muhammad Ashab Irfan at 12:45 pm JST (8:45 am Pakistan time) on Sunday at Court 1 of the Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena.
