Six-time champions Pakistan overcome hosts Hong Kong, China in thriller on day one of WSF World Squash Team Championships
The 2024 WSF World Squash Team Championships got off to a thrilling start as six-time champions and [9/12] seeds Pakistan came from behind to down hosts and No.8 seeds Hong Kong, China to top Pool H in the men’s event.
The home crowd was given reason to celebrate by the women’s team, though, with the side winning both of the ties they played.
This year’s championship, which is being played at Hong Kong Football Club from 9-15 December, marks a moment in squash history, with the men’s and women’s championships being contested simultaneously for the first time.
The best of the action was saved until last on the indoor all-glass court, which will be the main court until the addition of a second all-glass court, which will be situated on the famous pitch of Hong Kong Football Club from the quarter-finals onwards.
Home club hero Alex Lau gave his side the lead in a tense 64-minute clash with Asim Khan, with the 28-year-old clinching the opener 11-5, 7-11, 11-9, 11-13, 11-4.
20-year-old Noor Zaman – who had starred in another Pakistan comeback earlier that day against debutants Peru – then pulled his side level with an 11-7, 8-11, 11-5, 4-11, 6-11 win to put the fate of the tie in the hands of Chi Him Wong and Nasir Iqbal.
To the delight of his watching teammates, Iqbal was able to assert himself, hitting a trio of 11-5 wins to send Pakistan, without the title since 1993 and playing the championship for the first time since 2017, to the top of Pool H ahead of their final pool stage tie against Italy tomorrow.
Afterwards, Iqbal said: “We are so proud to be representing Pakistan. When we get on the court we are so energetic because we are representing our country. After a long break, we are back playing and we’re all giving 200 percent.
“Noor Zaman is playing so well, and then in the third match there was a lot of pressure on me.”
Earlier in the day, Hong Kong, China’s women’s side impressed in front of the home crowd. With the team playing a double header in Pool F against Finland at 12:00 and Australia at 17:30, careful management was essential, with all members of the squad involved.
To the roars of the crowd, the team came through unscathed, recording convincing 3-0 wins against both to top their group.
“I thought that I wouldn’t be nervous, but it is always tough playing the first matches,” No.3 string Tsz-Wing Tong said afterwards.
“There is an added pressure [playing on a home court] because everyone expects us to give them a good game. I think it is more motivation though, because we rarely get to play alongside the men’s team. It’s a huge motivation for the team as a whole to just play our best. I think regardless of how far we go, the fans will be supporting us anyway.”
In a minor seedings upset, [17/20] seeds South Africa overcame eight-time champions and [13/16] seed Australia, with 18-year-old senior team debutant Luhann Groenewald – known for his unorthodox two-handed technique – delivering the decisive win after a win for Dewald Van Niekerk beat Joseph White and a defeat for Luhann’s brother, Damian Groenewald, to Rhys Dowling.
“Any South African would tell you what a privilege it is to wear the green and gold, so playing for the South African team for the first time was a really big opportunity for me to learn and to get the experience,” Luhann Groenewald said afterwards.
The WSF World Team Championships continue tomorrow, 10 December, from 10:00 (GMT+8) as the Pools Stage concludes. Watch the action live and free on WORLDSQUASH.TV.
Click here to view results for the 2024 WSF World Squash Team Championships.
Find out more about the WSF World Squash Team Championships at wsfworldteams.com.
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About the WSF World Squash Team Championships
The WSF World Squash Team Championships are contested annually and pit National Federation squads of four players against each other as they compete for the title of World Champions. The 2024 edition, which is taking place in Hong Kong, China, from 09-15 December 2024 and will be hosted at the Hong Kong Football Club, with the support of the Squash Association of Hong Kong, China.
This year’s championships will be the first to feature concurrent men’s and women’s events, with previous editions alternating between the two annually.
The WSF World Squash Team Championships is proud of being an “M” Mark event that helps
enhance the image of Hong Kong as Asia’s sports event capital. The “M” Mark awarded by the Major Sports Events Committee, symbolising intense, spectacular and signature event in the territory sports calendar.
About the World Squash Federation
The World Squash Federation (WSF) is the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognised International Federation for squash. It is a member of the Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations (ARISF) and from 1 January 2025 an associate member of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF).
**About Hong Kong Football Club
**Hong Kong Football Club (HKFC) was founded in 1886 with a mission to facilitate the development of sporting activities in Hong Kong. It has followed a vision to be one of the leading not-for-profit sports clubs in the world.
Regarded as one of the finest sporting clubs in Asia, the 64,000-square-metre building offers the largest range of facilities among all the sports clubs in Hong Kong. HKFC not only provides Hong Kong with a world-class venue for many major international sports events, but also plays a key role in Hong Kong’s thriving sporting and social community.