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Asiad squash gold to revive Pakistan's lost glory

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Pakistani squash team's victory in the final of the Asian Games may trigger the revival of the game's lost glory in the country and as well in the world, former players believed.

Pakistan won the gold medal at the Guangzhou Asian Games on Thursday by beating Malaysia in straight games 2-0 in the men's team final.

Mahboob Khan, former Pakistani player, while talking to a local Urdu TV channel, termed the victory an oxygen cylinder for the Pakistani squash players which will urge them to work hard.

Pakistani Farhan Mehboob, 22 years old, who ranks 31st in the world, beat past Ong Beng Hee, who won the 2002 and 2006 Asian Games individual men's titles by 11-4, 11-4, and 11-7 in the first match.

Then Aamir Atlas Khan avenged from Mohamad Azlan Iskandar defeating him by 14-12, 15-13, 11-4. Iskandar beat Khan by 3-0 in the men's individual final at the Guangzhou Asian Games.

It is Pakistan's second gold medal at the 16th Asian Games after the Pakistan women's cricket team won the gold by defeating Bangladesh in the final.

"My family and even the whole of the Pakistani nation are very happy on this historical victory because our country could not win any big tile during this decade," Said Khan, father and coach of Mahboob.

Although Pakistan's national sport is hockey and cricket is the most popular one but Pakistan has achieved more successes in squash.

Pakistan had produced many top class players who dominated the games for almost five decades.

Two unmatched squash giants Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan ruled the whole period of 1980s and 1990s.

Pakistan, between 1950 and 1997, grabbed over 30 British Open titles, 14 World Open titles and a lot more Professional Squash Association (PSA) professional titles.

Jahangir is considered by many to be the greatest player of the world who won the World Open six times and the British Open a record ten times. Between 1981 and 1986, he was unbeaten and won 555 matches consecutively, the longest winning streak in squash history.

Pakistan, last time in 1998, qualified for the final of the British Open when Jansher was defeated which gave a blow to Pakistani squash glory.

Since then no Pakistanis could reach the final of either the British or World Open.