Noor Zaman Secures Third Place at Asian Games 2026 Squash

Pakistan’s Noor Zaman secured third place in the men’s singles squash competition at the Asian Games 2026 after defeating compatriot Muhammad Ashab Irfan in an all-Pakistan playoff at the Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena in Japan.

Zaman won the third-place match 3-0, taking the three games 11-7, 11-7 and 13-11. The contest lasted 26 minutes.

The result placed Zaman third in the individual men’s squash event, while Ashab Irfan finished fourth. Both Pakistani players had already secured bronze medals by reaching the semifinals, meaning the playoff determined their final positions rather than whether Pakistan would win a medal.

The all-Pakistan matchup followed strong performances from both players earlier in the tournament. Zaman and Ashab had reached the semifinals after winning their respective quarterfinal matches at the Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena.

Zaman entered the semifinals after defeating Hong Kong’s Chi Hin Henry Leung 3-1 in the quarterfinals. Ashab also advanced with a 3-1 victory over India’s Veer Chotrani, giving Pakistan two representatives in the last four of the men’s singles event.

In the semifinal stage, Ashab faced India’s Abhay Singh, while Zaman took on Malaysia’s Eain Yow Ng. Both Pakistani players were beaten in straight games, sending them into the bronze-medal playoff against each other.

Zaman started the third-place match strongly and established an early advantage by winning the opening game 11-7. He maintained control in the second game, again recording an 11-7 victory.

The third game proved more competitive as Ashab pushed the contest beyond the regular 11-point mark. Zaman eventually closed out the game 13-11 to complete the straight-games win.

The Pakistan Squash Federation confirmed that both Zaman and Ashab received bronze medals at the official victory ceremony at the Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena. The result marked Pakistan’s return to the individual squash medal table at the Asian Games after a 17-year gap.

The individual event was an important part of Pakistan’s squash campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Games, with both players progressing deep into the competition. Their semifinal appearances guaranteed Pakistan a medal before the all-Pakistan playoff took place.

The squash competition now moves into the team events, with Pakistan scheduled to compete in both the men’s and women’s categories. The Pakistan men’s team is seeded second and placed in Pool B, while the women’s team is seeded ninth in Group B.

For Noor Zaman, the 3-0 victory over Ashab Irfan completes his individual campaign with a third-place finish at the 2026 Asian Games. Ashab also leaves the singles event with a bronze medal after reaching the last four and contesting the final classification match against his fellow Pakistani player.