ISLAMABAD: Super-fit Nasir Iqbal is eyeing gold in the individual event of the 19th Asian Games squash event where he has to beat the best including India’s top ranked player Saurav Ghosal on his way to achieving his dream.
In an exclusive interview Nasir said he had achieved his best fitness level following years of hard work and rehabilitation programme. It was in the South Asian Games in India in 2016 that Nasir turned the table on Ghosal, winning gold at the Games. In the 19th Asian Games so far he has shown tremendous agility and has managed to beat the best on his way to help Pakistan win silver.
“I am in top physical condition and am hopeful that I will be in a position to make a mark on the Games when the individual event gets under way tomorrow.”
On narrowly missing the gold in the team event on Saturday when Noor Zaman threw away two gold medal winning points, he said it could have been Pakistan's gold but for many reasons that did not happen.
“We were almost there as Noor was playing well going into the fourth game. We thought he would finish it off the Indian in four games but things turned against him. Even in the last game he was standing at the brink of taking the gold. There, however, he could not apply that killer punch that was required.”
When asked, were there some issues with the referee, he said several calls went against Pakistan players.
“When it comes to playing against India these things do happen at international level. This is something that we cannot control-we have to play with it and we have done that. There were several calls where we could easily have gotten a stroke but were denied. But you cannot challenge the referee.”
Nasir was excited to win silver at the Games.
“It is not a small achievement. Winning silver at the Asian Games after almost 13 years is not a small achievement. The gold could have been anyone but we lost it at the end after putting up a gallant show.”
The reports reaching here suggest that all Pakistanis who gathered at the court to watch the final were of the opinion that referring could have been better.
“It could have been a different story had the referring was up to the mark. But it is something beyond your control,” Nasir said.
Nasir Iqbal starts his individual gold medal campaign with a match against a Thai player on Sunday.
Abdul Mohi Shah Abdul Mohi Shah is a senior reporter for The News