PESHAWAR: Promising 10-year-old Mahnoor Ali, hailing from Peshawar, clichéd the trophy after defeating top seeded Avantikhashrii Seenivasagam of Malaysia in the final of the 18th Penang Malaysian Open Junior Squash Championship played at Penang, Malaysia on Sunday.
It was first ever gold medal for Pakistan in the International squash event of a 10-year-old girl who entered into the Championship as qualifier and reached to the final by recording thumping victory against top seeded Avantgikhashrii Saveenivasgam of Malaysia. “We are delighted the way, she played and recorded a straight sets victory against host Malaysian player,” Mahnoor Ali’s jubilant mother informed the media.
Mahnoor, like in the other matches, started the final match with fast tempo and did not give much time to her rival, who also has local crowd support, to settle down and marched into victory in the straight sets, the score was 11-4, 11-1 and 11-3. She is in great form, giving only 8 points to her top seeded rival.
Earlier, she recorded her victory against six-seeded Nur Ul Gina Abdul Basir in straight sets, the score was 11-2, 11-5 and 11-7 in the semi-finals and faced Seenivasgam of Malaysia in the final.
Throughout the Championship, Mahnoor Ali was outstanding, showing her superiority and classic game of attacking shorts and forceful smashes. She also defeated another top seeded player Malaysian Hetikaa Murali by 3-0, the score was 11-2, 11-7 and 11-6 in the quarter-final and reached the semi-finals. She also the winner of the National U11 Junior Championship.
She thanked all the Pakistanis, her mother and father and elder sister, also international squash player, Mehwish Ali, and her coaches, Director General Sports Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, former World Champion Qamar Zaman, for extending all out support to her and guided her to reach into the international squash.
“I will work harder and win back more tournaments in the world of squash,” Mahnoor told APP on phone. “I am so excited to have won the Malaysian Junior U11 title for Pakistan and I am thankful to the President Pakistan Squash Federation and the entire squash family for their prayers and support,” Mahnoor Ali said.
It is certainly a gift to the people of Pakistan, who celebrated World Squash Day on Saturday, Mahnoor said. Director General Sports Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Khalid Khan, former World Champion Qamar Zaman, squash coaches of the Qamar Zaman Squash Complex including Munawar Zaman, Tahir Iqbal, Muhammad Waseem, Niamat Ullah, Alamzeb, former Sports Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Aqil Shah, Secretary Sports Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, President KP Squash Association Dawood Khan, former Directors General Sports Junaid Khan, Asfandiyar Khan Khattak also congratulated her for winning the title in Malaysian Junior Squash in the age of just 10-year.
Her mother also thanked all for their prayers for Mahnoor Ali who won back the title as she faced top seeded Malaysian player in the final.
