Maira Hussain wins KP Junior Aquapura U-15 Girls Squash Championship title

PESHAWAR - Maira Hussain clinched the trophy after defeating her strong rival Sana Bahadur in the Under-15 Girls category of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Junior Aquapura Squash Championship played here at PAF Hashim Khan Squash Complex on Saturday.

Chief Executive Aquapura Drinking Water Purification Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Haji Ghafoor was the chief guest on this occasion. President KP Squash Association Qamar Zaman, Head Coach PAF Squash Academy Atlas Khan, Member Executive Committee and Head Coach Blue Tone Squash Academy Wazir Gul, Nazim Nawa Kali Sajjad Khan, Sher Bahadur, PAF Academy Coaches Maqsood Hani, Gulab Sher, Nazir Khan, Riaz Khan, officials, players and a large number of spectators were also present.

The final match was started on fast tempo and both Maira Hussain and Sana Bahadur played the excellent game by giving each other a tough fight. Maira lost the first set to Sana Bahadur at 10-12. Both were tied at 6-6, 9-9, 10-10 before Sana got the set at 10-12.

Maira after conceding a set came back rapidly and won the second set by 13-11. Both Sana and Maira struggled hard for a single point and that was the reason they were tied on a couple of occasion like 4-4, 5-5, 7-7, 8-8, 9-9, 10-10, and 11-all before Maira took the set to make the tally 1-1.

On the other hands, Sana also played well and with her killer nick shorts and drop, she succeeded in winning the third set at 9-11. Maira was leading at 6-3, 9-6 but Sana first ties tally at 6-6 and then at 9-9 before taking the set at 9-11.

Again Maira Hussain succeeded in levelling the tally 2-2 when she got the fourth set by 11-9. It was the fifth and decisive set in which both Maira Hussain and Sana Bahadur stretched to full length and at the end, Maira got the set at 14-12. The sitting spectators largely appreciated the play of both Maira Hussain and Sana Bahadur. The last set was tied at 7-7, 8-8, 9-9, 10-10, 11-11 and 12-12. The final lasted for 59th minute.

In the other age group categories of the boys Under-11 Ibrahim Zeb recorded a thumping victory against Saif Ullah Tareen at 3-0, the score was 12-10, 12-10 and 11-5, in the Under-13 category Saboor Khan shocked Sakhi Ullah Tareen in a thrilling five sets battle 3-2, the score was 7-11, 11-4, 11-9, 10-12 and 11-7. Saboor faced tough resistance at the hands of Saki Ullah in the final.

In the Under-15 age group, category Mutahir Ali shocked Azaan Khalil by 14-12, 11-2 and 11-9. Mutahir Ali fully dominated the match and did not give much time to Azaan Khalil to stage a comeback. It was only in the first set in which both Mutahir Ali and Azaan stretched to 14-12 before levelling the tally at 6-6, 8-8, 9-9, 10-10, 11-11 and 12-12.

At the end of the final matches, the chief guest Haji Ghafoor gave away trophies and cash prizes to the winners and runners-up. Two special prizes were also given to the grandson of Qamar Zaman Abdullah Zaman and special player Saifullah Bahadur. More than 100 players, both boys and girls took part in the Championship organized in connection with the 72nd Independence Day celebration.