Pakistan outclasses Afghanistan in Table Tennis Series
Bureau Report

PESHAWAR—Pakistan outclassed Afghanistan by 3-1 in the last Test match of the Four matches Table Tennis Series played under the aegis of NWFP Table Tennis Association here at PSB Coaching Center on Wednesday.
Pakistan team comprising national no.3 ranking Muhammad Rafique Sarhadi, 4th ranking Tariq Aziz, Muhammad Rizwan and Arif Siddique played excellently against Afghanistan in 3-1 battle witnessed by capacity crowd present on this occasion.
NWFP Sports Minister Syed Aqil Shah, MPA and Vice President of NWFP Olympic Association Miss Shagufta, Secretary of the Association Kifatullah Khan, President Kamran and large number of spectators, especially Afghans enthusiasts, enjoyed the thrill of the matches.
It was an easy sailing for Muhammad Rafique Sarhadi of Pakistan against Afghanistan No. 1 Amanullah Azai in the straight sets battle. The score was 11-9, 13-11 and 11-8. In the second singles Tariq Aziz of Pakistan faced tough resistance against Saeed Amir Kowodi of Afghanistan in the 3-1 battle. Both the players exhibited their class with spin services, drives and forceful smashes. Kowodi has also the support of Afghanis sitting during the proceedings but he failed to click despite winning the first set by 11-13. The other score was 11-9, 11-7 and 11-9.
In the third singles Baseer Ahamd Swati of Afghanistan defeated Arif Siddique by 3-0, the score was 11-8, 11-9 and 11-7 to make it 2-1. It was in the fourth set when Muhammad Rizwan defeated Muhammad Ali Hassan Zada by 3-2 in the thrilling battle. The score was 2-11, 11-9, 11-13, 11-7 and 11-5. Along with Test series, the Afghan team participated in individual event as well, in which 16 players took part. The individual event won by Rafique Sarhadi while Tariq Aziz got the runners-up trophy.
Sarhadi defeated Rizwan in the first semi-finals and Tariq defeated Arif in the second semi-finals while all the Afghan players lost their matches in quarter-finals. At the end, the chief guest gave away trophies and shields to the winners and runners-up. In his brief address, Syed Aqil Shah lauded the association for inviting Afghan team to have Test matches Series.
He said, a comprehensive program will be prepared to invite as much as team from Afghanistan in different games to cement ties between the two brotherly neighbors and to bring the people of both side of the western border further closer.
Through such exchanges players of both side will learn good things from each other experiences, he said.