Pakistan’s Hamza Asif finished 35th among 40 competitors in the men’s 50m breaststroke heats.

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Pakistan suffered setbacks in badminton, fencing and swimming at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya on Friday, with several athletes failing to advance in their respective events.

The Pakistan badminton campaign began with Muhammad Ali Larosh being eliminated from the men’s singles competition after Kazakhstan’s Makhsut Tajibullayev won a closely contested first-round match.

Tajibullayev secured the opening game 21-11, but Larosh responded strongly to take the second 24-22 at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium.

The decisive third game was again tightly contested, with Tajibullayev eventually winning 24-22 to complete a 49-minute victory.

Pakistan Badminton Pair Eliminated

Earlier, Olympian Mahoor Shahzad and Muhammad Ali Larosh were eliminated from the mixed doubles competition after losing to South Korea’s Kim Jaeh Yun and Jang Hajeong.

The Korean pair dominated the 20-minute contest and secured a straight-games victory, winning 21-1, 21-10.

South Korea controlled the match from the beginning, winning 42 of the 53 points played. Pakistan managed only 11 points, including just one in the opening game.

Pakistan Fencing Team Knocked Out

Pakistan were also eliminated from the men’s team foil competition after suffering a 45-12 defeat against China in the round of 16 at Aichi Sky Expo Hall F.

China established a 5-0 lead in the opening relay and continued to extend their advantage, moving 25-3 ahead after five relays.

Pakistan struggled to reduce the deficit as Muhammad Waqas, Abdul Musawir and Baryal Khan competed against China’s strong lineup.

Musawir produced Pakistan’s best individual performance in the final relay, scoring 12 touches, but China had already built an unassailable lead.

China reached 45 touches to secure victory and advance to the next stage.

Pakistan finished the nine-relay contest with 12 touches compared with China’s 45.

Waqas, Musawir and Baryal Khan represented Pakistan, while Muhammad Yaseen Khan was also listed in the team.

Pakistan Swimmers Miss Out on Qualification

Pakistan’s swimming campaign also produced disappointing results at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.

Mishael Aisha Hyat finished 25th among 28 competitors in the women’s 50m butterfly heats after recording a time of 30.95 seconds.

China’s Zhang Yufei topped the heat in 25.57 seconds, followed by Japan’s Rikako Ikee in 25.98 and China’s Wu Qingfeng in 26.00.

Zhang, a former world and Olympic champion, led the field, while Ikee finished 0.41 seconds behind her.

Hong Kong’s Yeung Hoi Ching secured the final qualifying position among the swimmers listed as advancing, finishing in 27.39 seconds.

Hamza Asif Finishes 35th

Pakistan’s Hamza Asif finished 35th among 40 competitors in the men’s 50m breaststroke heats.

He clocked 30.47 seconds, while China’s Qin Haiyang recorded the fastest time of 26.87 seconds.

Japan’s Shin Ohashi finished second in 27.00 seconds and China’s Liu Junjie was third in 27.08 seconds, with all three advancing.

Iran’s Amir Motaee finished fourth in 27.28 seconds, followed by Kyrgyzstan’s Denis Petrashov in 27.45 seconds.

Hong Kong’s Mak Sai Ting Adam and Vietnam’s Pham Thanh Bao also finished among the leading swimmers, recording 27.71 and 27.72 seconds respectively.

Kazakhstan’s Aibat Myrzamuratov secured the final qualifying position, finishing 10th in 27.86 seconds.

Pakistan will now look to build on its performances in other disciplines as its Asian Games campaign continues in Nagoya.