Squash delivers Pakistan's first silver of Aichi-Nagoya 2026 as Noor Zaman takes bronze

Squash has once again given Pakistan something to celebrate on the Asian stage. At the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, the men's squash team reached the final of the team event and came home with silver, the country's first silver medal of the Games. A few days earlier, Noor Zaman had already secured a bronze in the men's singles.

The team event

Pakistan's run to the team final included a quarter-final win over South Korea and a hard-fought 2-1 comeback against Hong Kong, China in the semi-finals, with Noor Zaman, Ashab Irfan and Nasir Iqbal all involved in the last-four tie.

In the final, reported by Bol News on 2 October 2026, Pakistan met a Malaysian side spearheaded by Eain Yow Ng and lost 2-0. Nasir Iqbal was beaten 3-1 in the opening match, in about 41 minutes, and Malaysia then sealed the title in the second rubber with a five-game win over Noor Zaman that lasted roughly 53 minutes.

While the defeat denied Pakistan a long-awaited gold, reaching the final in a sport the country once dominated was a meaningful step. Bol News described the result as Pakistan's first silver of the Games, at a point when the contingent's tally otherwise consisted of bronze medals.

Noor Zaman's singles bronze

The individual tournament had already produced a medal. Noor Zaman reached the men's singles semi-finals, where he was beaten 3-0 by the defending champion Eain Yow Ng of Malaysia, and he left Japan with bronze. Mohammad Ashab Irfan also made it to the last four of the singles draw, underlining the depth Pakistan now have among their younger professionals.

Noor Zaman's week in Nagoya was the standout individual squash performance of Pakistan's campaign. He won a singles medal and then played a central role in the team event, including a five-game battle in the final.

Squash leads Pakistan's medal haul

Squash ended the Games as Pakistan's most productive discipline. According to Khel Now's breakdown of the country's results, the sport accounted for three of Pakistan's ten medals at Aichi-Nagoya 2026: the team silver and two individual bronzes. Pakistan's overall return of two silver and eight bronze was its best at an Asian Games since 2002.

What comes next

The domestic calendar offers immediate chances to build on the momentum. The Pakistan Squash Federation's 2026-27 calendar lists the Asian Team Championship in Islamabad from 3 to 7 November 2026, the CAS International Squash Championship in Islamabad from 24 to 28 November, and the 17th CNS International Squash Championship in Karachi from 1 to 5 December.

With Nasir Iqbal, Noor Zaman and Ashab Irfan all competing regularly, and several of those events taking place on home soil, the silver in Japan may come to be seen as a starting point rather than a ceiling.