Malaysia rides Ong Beng Hee's win over Amjad Khan to victory over Pakistan in Asian Cup

12.17.2000 By Ron Beck

Malaysia, led by Ong Beng Hee beats Pakistan and Amjad Khan

Eight teams entered the inaugural Asia Squash Cup, and the new tiger, Malaysia, emerged victorious.

Partly, the victory can be attributed to the format - which had each team composed of the country's two top men and one top woman. Pakistan does not feature a top-tier woman's program, leaving it at a big disadvantage within this format.

Partly, also, the victory is due to the highly enthusiastic and organized Malaysian squash program, which has seen Ong Beng Hee reach the top 20 in the world and Nicol David (not entered in this tournament) become the most highly anticipated new woman's player. And there are more hot Malaysian players on the way.

"This victory proves that Malaysia have balanced strength in the men's and women's teams. What is interesting is that we managed to emerge champions in this inaugural mixed team tournament," team manager S. Maniam said.

This match turned quite clearly on the #1 match between Ong Beng Hee and Amjad Khan. Amjad, who has seen his ranking plummet from the low teens to the high twenties in the past year, ran into Ong Beng Hee, backed by a strong squash organization, charged up from his recent win in the Malaysian Open, and enthusiastically on the upswing.

Following Ong's victory; Sharon Wee closed the door with a fifteen minute victory over the over-matched Bushra Haider.

Other teams finished as follows: Hong Kong third; Japan fourth; Singapore fifth; Jordan sixth; South Korea seventh and Sri Lanka eighth.

RESULTS Asian Squash Championships
KUALA LUMPUR, Sunday: Final:
Malaysia bt Pakistan 2-1 Ong Beng Hee bt Amjad Khan 9-1, 3-9, 9-0, 9-3 Sharon Wee bt Bushra Haider 9-4, 9-0, 9-2 Mansoor Zaman bt Kenneth Low 9-5 9-7

Third-fourth placings: Hong Kong bt Japan 3-0 Faheem Khan bt Yoshihiro Watanabe 9-3, 9-0, 9-1 Rebecca Chiu bt Mami Nishio 9-1, 9-0, 9-2 Adrian Fong bt Kimihiko Sano 9-7, 9-1

Fifth-sixth placings: Singapore bt Jordan 3-0 Mohammad Rizal Kadir bt Mohammed Al Saad 9-7, 9-1, 4-9, 9-7 Della Lee bt Najada El Majed 9-0, 9-0, 9-0 Dermadi Adi bt Yazen Hijazi 9-5, 9-2

Seventh-eighth placings: South Korea bt Sri Lanka 2-1 Hirantha Goonesena bt Ku Ryun-hoe 9-0, 9-6, 9-1 Kang Young-jin bt Yasmin Zarook 9-6, 9-2, 9-1 Lee Yong-hee bt Janaka Suwaris 9-1, 9-4, 4-9, 9-5

Semi-finals
Malaysia bt Hong Kong 2-1 (Ong Beng Hee bt Faheem Khan 9-2, 9-7, 9-0; Tricia Chua lost to Rebecca Chiu 0-9, 3-9, 1-9; Kenneth Low bt Roger Ngan 9-0, 9-1, 9-1).

Pakistan bt Japan 2-1 (Mansoor Zaman bt Kimihiko Sano 9-0, 9-0, 9-4; Bushra Haider lost to Mami Nishio 4-9, 1-9, 1-9; Aijaz Azmat bt Takehide Hota 9-1, 9-1, 9-1).

5th to 8th placings:
Jordan bt South Korea 2-1,
Singapore bt Sri Lanka 3-0.

Pool Results Friday:
Group A: 1-Malaysia bt Singapore 3-0 (Ong Beng Hee bt Mohammad Rizal Kadir 9-5, 9-3, 9-3; Tricia Chuah bt Della Lee 9-2, 9-6, 9-2; Mohammad Azlan Iskandar bt Benson Siew 9-0, 9-1, 9-3). 4-Japan bt Jordan 2-1 (Yoshihiro Watanabe lost to Mohammed Al Saad 8-10, 8-10, 9-6, 8-10; Chinatsu Matsui bt Najada El Majed 9-2, 9-0, 9-0; Kimihiko Sano bt Yazen Hijazi 9-7, 9-1, 9-3).

Group B: 2-Pakistan bt South Korea 2-1 (Amjad Khan bt Ku Ryun-hoe 9-0, 9-0, 9-0; Bushra Haider lost to Kang Young-jin 9-10, 0-9, 1-9; Mansoor Zaman bt Lee Yong-hee 9-1, 9-1, 9-1). 3-Hong Kong bt Sri Lanka 3-0 (Roger Ngan bt Hirantha Goonesena 9-6, 7-9, 9-2, 9-2; Rebecca Chiu bt Yasmin Zarook 9-2, 9-1, 9-2; Adrian Fong bt Janaka Swaris 9-1, 6-9, 9-2, 9-0)

Ong Beng Hee and Ken Low (top). Mansoor Zaman (bottom) gave Pakistan its only point in the finals.

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