Games-India win thriller over arch-rivals Pakistan for squash gold

HANGZHOU, China : India's squash team celebrated a gold medal gained in dramatic circumstances on Saturday when Abhay Singh came back from two match points down to win the deciding game and so beat rivals Pakistan in the Asian Games men's team final.

After a topsy-turvy final that both sets of players described as high pressure due to expectations back home, Singh fought back from 10-8 down in the decider against Pakistan's Noor Zaman to win 12-10 and clinch the gold medal, sending his team mates and the Indian fans in the crowd into raptures.

It was sweet revenge for Singh and India who were beaten by Pakistan on Wednesday in a pool-round match, which also included Singh losing to Zaman.

"When you lose on tour, you lose for yourself but when you lose here you lose for India and that does not feel good," said Singh, 25, who cried both when he won and when he heard his national anthem on the podium. "I think it takes a lot of character to push and come back from that.

"I think all the shouting, all India just pushed me to go. I just want to thank everyone really who shouted for me today."

It did not start so well for India.

Pakistan's Nasir Iqbal beat India's Mahesh Mangaonkar 3-0 in a feisty opening match in the best-of-three tie.

Watched by around 200 fans at the temporarily erected glass-walled court, sitting in the middle of a huge convention centre, Iqbal and Mangaonkar constantly got in each other’s way and complained to the match referees about calls.

After one clash Iqbal tumbled, prompting Mangaonkar to rush over and check his opponent was alright.

Iqbal went on to win 11-8 11-8 11-2 which went down well with some of the locals in the crowd who waved mini Pakistan flags given to them as they walked in. No India flags