HANGZHOU - Bangladesh Women secured the bronze medal by defeating Paki­stan Women with a five-wicket victory in the 19th Asian Games women’s cricket event’s thrill­ing encounter at the Zhejiang University of Technology Ping­feng Cricket Field in Hangzhou on Monday. 

Pakistan women cricket team, which won the gold medals in the 2010 and 2014 editions, couldn’t perform well and finished fourth in the mega Asian event. Later in the day, India Women played out their best and succeeded in clinching the gold medal by de­feating Sri Lanka Women by 19 runs, leaving Sri Lanka Women with the silver medal. 

Batting first, Pakistan Women managed to post a total of 64 for nine wickets in their allotted 20 overs. All-rounder Aliya Riaz was the top scorer for her team, contributing 17 runs from 18 balls, including two boundaries. Captain Nida Dar added 14 runs from 18 balls with one boundary, while Sadaf Shamas scored 13 runs off 26 balls with one four, and Natalia Pervaiz contributed 11 runs off 24 balls. Shorna Ak­ter was the standout performer for Bangladesh, taking three wickets for 16 runs, while San­jida Akter bagged two wickets. 

In response, Bangladesh Women lost five wickets but managed to reach the modest target in 18.2 overs. Shorna Ak­ter played a pivotal role with the bat, remaining unbeaten on 14 runs from 33 balls. For Pakistan, left-arm spinner Nashra Sund­hu was the leading wicket-taker as she claimed three wickets for 10 runs from her four overs. 

AISAM/AQEEL AND USHNA/ SARAH TRIUMPH IN DOUBLES TENNIS MATCHES 

Pakistan’s doubles tennis teams achieved remarkable vic­tories in the 19th Asian Games tennis matches on Monday. 

Aisam ul Haq Qureshi and Aqeel Khan, representing Paki­stan in the men’s doubles ten­nis match, outclassed the East Timor duo of Antonio Mendes and Agapito Guterres Ferreira with a commanding 2-0 victory, securing scores of 6-1, 6-1. On the other court, Pakistan’s dy­namic duo of Ushna Suhail and Sarah Ibrahim Khan showcased their skill and teamwork as they triumphed over the Mongolian pair of Yesugen Ganbaatar and Sonom-yanzum Enkhjargal with a convincing 2-0 win, with the scoreline reading 6-1, 6-0. 

However, in the women’s singles matches, both Pakistani female players faced formidable opponents from China and the Philippines, resulting in chal­lenging contests. Ushna Suhail competed against China’s star player Zhu Lin. The Chinese player leveraged her extensive experience and skills to emerge victorious with a straight-set win, claiming both sets 6-0. A similar scenario unfolded for Pakistan’s Sarah Ibrahim Khan, who went up against the Phil­ippines’ tennis sensation, Eala Alex. In a dominating perfor­mance, Eala Alex did not con­cede a single point to secure a comfortable 2-0 victory, with the scoreline mirroring 6-0, 6-0. 

Meanwhile, in the disciplines of taekwondo, shooting, row­ing, swimming, sailing, and wushu, Pakistani athletes faced significant challenges, result­ing in outcomes that fell short of expectations and left room for disappointment.