Noor Zaman’s run at the World Games came to an end on Saturday after a narrow five-game defeat to Colombian world number 21 Miguel Rodriguez in the last-16 stage. Despite a spirited fightback from 2-1 down, the young Pakistani was unable to close out the deciding game, losing 11-6 in the fifth.
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Making his team’s debut appearance at the Games, Noor began strongly, taking the opening game 11-2 in just six minutes. Rodriguez responded with back-to-back wins in the next two games, 11-7 and 11-9. Noor forced a decider by edging the fourth 13-11, but the Colombian’s composure and experience proved decisive in the final stretch.
“Noor played with heart, but Rodriguez’s experience made the difference in crucial moments,” said Pakistan coach Fahim Gul. “This is a learning curve for him and he’ll come back stronger.”
Noor will now shift focus to the special plate event, where he faces Egyptian Mohammad Nasser in the quarter-finals on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Nasir Iqbal kept Pakistan’s hopes alive in the plate competition, cruising past Austrian Daniel Lutz 11-7, 11-4, 11-8 to set up a last-eight meeting with Romanian Radu Pena. “Nasir played smart squash today, controlling the match from the start,” added Fahim. “He’s determined to make the most of this opportunity.”
The multi-sport World Games, which feature non-Olympic sports, are a prelude to squash’s Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028. Beyond squash, Saturday’s action saw Britain’s men’s 640kg tug-of-war team claim gold over defending champions Switzerland, while Denmark’s Mads Brandt Pedersen and Sweden’s Melina Andersson triumphed in the men’s and women’s K1 short distance canoe events.
Indonesia secured the first-ever dragon boat gold in the open 8-seater 2,000m pursuit race, while China dominated the women’s group acrobatic gymnastics competition. In the standard dance category, Moldova’s Alexey Glukhov and Anastasia Glazunova took top honours, adding to an eventful day of competition in Chengdu.
