HBL, Wapda win Women’s, Men’s singles crowns

PESHAWAR—Shabnum Bilal of HBL and Saleem Abbas of Wapda clinched the crowns of the Women’s and Men’s singles of the 45th National Table Tennis Championship played here at PSB Coaching Center on Monday.
NWFP Caretaker Minister for Sports and Culture Brig. Qayyum Sher, President NWFP Olympic Association (NWFP OA) Syed Aqil Shah, former squash wizard Jansher Khan, Director Administration University of Peshawar (UoP) Iftikhar Hussain Khan, Director Institute of Computer and Management Sciences (ICMS) were the guests of honor on this occasion.
In the Women’s singles final Shabnum Bilal of HBL stunned current national champion Ghalia Khursheed of (HBL) in straight sets encounter in the best of seven games. The score was 13-11, 11-8, 11-7 and 11-5. It was only in the first set when Ghalia Khursheed saved two sets points in the first set, otherwise Shabnum Bilal dominated the whole proceedings.
It was the second title won by Shabnum Bilal as earlier, she was crowned as Women singles title winner in way back 1997. Shabnum, wife of Pakistan No. 1 Bilal Yasin, took the title by defeating her rival Pakistan No.1 Ghalia by 4-0.
In the Men’s singles, 36-year old Saleem Abbas was crowned as Men’s singles title winner when he defeated Rafique Sarhadi of Punjab in straight sets, the score was 11-3, 11-6, 11-4 and 11-6.
Although Rafique lost the final yet he recorded two upsets by handing a shocking defeat to current national champion Bilal Yasin in the quarter-finals, Asim Qureshi in pre-quarter-final and Tariq Aziz in semi-final before reaching the final.
Due to a tragic death of Mohtarama Benazir Bhutto, the Men’s and Women doubles and mix-doubles were called off. It was decided by the organizers to hold the events in forthcoming Pakistan-Afghanistan Table Tennis Series to be held in the first week of February 2008.
At the end, the guests of honor gave away trophies and medals to the position holders. Results: Women’s Singles Final Shabnam Bilal (HBL) beat Ghalia Khursheed (HBL) (4-0) 13-11,11-8,11-7,11-5 Women’s Singles Semi-Finals Ghalia Khursheed (HBL) beat Rizwana Saleem (RLY) (4-0) 11-9, 11-4, 11-5, 11-9 Shabnam Bilal (HBL) beat Sadia Falaksher (Wapda) (4-2) 9-11,9-11,11-9,11-9,11-5,13-11.
Women’s Singles Qrt. Finals Ghalia Khursheed (HBL) beat Shabnam Yasmeen(Wapda) (4-0) 11-6, 11-5, 11-5, 11-7 Rizwana Saleem (RLY) beat Sidra Sattar (Wapda) (4-2) 7-11,11-4,11-9,8-11,11-4, 11-4 Sadia Falaksher (Wapda) beat Sadia Yaseen (HBL) (4-2) 11-9,9-11,6-11,11-6,11-7,11-8 Shabnam bilal (HBL) beat Loiza Irshad (Wapda) (4-0) 11-3, 11-9, 11-7, 11-1.
Women’s Singles Pre. Qrt. Rizwana Saleem (RLY) beat Ayesha Khan (HBL) (4-0) 11-7, 13-11, 11-9, 11-8 Sidra Sattar (Wapda) beat Madiha (Punjab) (4-0) 11-3, 11-8, 11-5, 11-8 Sadia Yaseen (HBL) beat Yasmeen Akhter (Punjab) (4-1) 11-5, 9-11, 11-2, 11-8, 11-5 Sadia Falaksher (Wapda) Beat Shazia Tariq (ISD) (4-1) 5-11,11-6,11-9,11-6,13-11 Loiza Irshad (Wapda) beat Rabab Alam (Army) (4-0) 12-10, 11-5, 11-3, 11-4 Shabnum Yasmin (Wapda) Beat Sanum Arzoo (Wapda) (4-3)9-11,11-8,11-7,11-9,9-11,3-11,11-6 Shabnum Bilal (HBL) beat Seemab Alam (Army) (4-0) 11-3, 11-5, 11-3, 11-3 Ghalia Khursheed (HBL) beat Ayesha Iqbal (Wapda) (4-2)11-6,11-7,13-15,4-11,11-9, 11-6 Men’s Singles Final Saleem Abbas (Wapda) beat Rafique Sarhadi (Punjab)(4-0) 11-3,11-6,11-4,11-6.
Men’s Singles Semi Finals Rafiq Sarhadi (Punjab) beat Tariq Aziz (ISD) (4-0) 11-8, 11-6, 11-6, 11-6 Saleem Abbas (Wapda) beat Shehzad Waseem (HBL) (4-1) 12-10, 9-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-9 Men’s Singles Qrt. Finals Rafiq Sarhadi (Punjab) beat Bilal Yaseen (Wapda) (4-2) 11-9,11-9,11-9,9-11,7-11,13-11 Tariq Aziz (Islamabad) beat Asim Muneer (Punjab) (4-0) 11-7, 11-7, 11-6, 13-11 Saleem Abbas (Wapda) beat Sajid Hassan (Wapda) (4-0) 11-9, 11-4, 12-10, 11-5 Shehzad Waseem (HBL) beat Yasir Iqbal (HBL) (4-3) 11-8,11-3,11-6,6-11,11-13,8-11,11-8.
Men’s Singles P. Qrt. Finals Yasir Iqbal (HBL) beat Mohsin Raza (PWD) (4-0) 11-6, 11-8, 11-7,11-4 Bilal Yaseen (Wapda) beat Usman Ahmed (Sindh) (4-0) 11-4, 11-6, 11-6, 114 Rafique Sarhadi (Punjab) beat Asim Qureshi (Wapda) (4-1) 11-8, 11-6, 11-3, 7-11, 11-9 Saleem Abbas (Wapda) beat Faryal Minhas (Wapda) (4-0) 11-4, 11-7, 11-6, 11-9 Tariq Aziz (ISD) beat Hassan Haider (HEC) (4-2) 7-11, 11-8, 11-6, 13-11,8-11,11-7 Asim Muneer (Punjab) beat Ahmed Hussain (HBL) (4-1) 11-9, 9-11, 9-11, 6-11, 3-1.—Agencies