Asian Team Championships,
Kuwait City, Kuwait
India
Celebrate Historic Asian Championships Success
India
celebrated their first senior Asian squash title success following
unexpected victory in the women's event in the 2012 Asian Team
Championships at the Salem Al-Sabah International Squash Complex
in Kuwait.
The
third seeds faced favourites and defending champions Hong Kong China.
But after a four-game victory by Indian number two Joshna Chinappa
over Joey Chan - ranked over 30 places above - top string
Dipika Pallikal sealed India's historic win by recording her
career-first victory over Hong Kong's world No6 Annie Au in
straight games.
"It
was a class act from Dipika," exclaimed India's National Coach Cyrus
Poncha.
But
India failed to make it a double in the men's event where
Pakistan successfully retained the title after beating the
favourites 2/0 in the final.
It was
a sensational comeback by the fourth seeds who suffered a shock 2/1
defeat to hosts Kuwait in the qualifying rounds - then battled
back to overcome third seeds Hong Kong in the quarter-finals
before seeing off Malaysia, the No2 seeds, in the semis.
In the
final, Farhan Mehboob recovered from two games down to beat
India's world No25 Saurav Ghosal 10-12, 6-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-9
and Pakistan No2 Farhan Zaman also outplayed a higher-ranked
opponent when he defeated Siddharth Suchde 11-7, 11-6, 11-13,
7-11, 11-9.
Men's Final:
[4] PAKISTAN bt [1] INDIA 2/0
Farhan Mehboob bt Saurav Ghosal 10-12, 6-11, 11-7, 11-6,
11-9
Farhan Zaman bt Siddharth Suchde 11-7, 11-6, 11-13, 7-11,
11-9
Remaining final positions: 3 Kuwait & Malaysia, 5 Hong Kong China, 6
Japan, 7 Jordan, 8 Korea, 9 Iran, 10 Singapore, 11 Iraq, 12 China, 13
Sri Lanka, 14 Chinese Taipei, 15 Palestine
Women's Final:
[3] INDIA bt [1] HONG KONG CHINA 2/0
Joshna Chinappa bt Joey Chan 11-3, 11-8, 5-11, 11-8
Dipika Pallikal bt Annie Au 11-8, 12-10, 11-8
Remaining final positions: 3 Malaysia & Korea, 5 Japan, 6 China, 7 Sri
Lanka, 8 Iran
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