Latest news with #MehwishAli
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Pakistan's squash player makes obscene finger gesture towards opponent after loss, storms out without handshake
In a startling turn of events at the Asian Junior Squash Championship, Pakistani Under-17 player Mehwish Ali stirred controversy after making an obscene gesture toward her opponent following a hard-fought Round of 16 clash. Pakistan's junior squash player has drawn controversy for her obscene gesture(X) The 17-year-old was seen making an offensive finger gesture towards Hong Kong's Chung Y L shortly after the conclusion of their match, which ended with scores of 13-11, 5-11, 11-13, 4-11 in favour of Chung. The unsportsmanlike act, captured on video, quickly went viral across social media platforms, drawing widespread criticism and raising questions about on-court conduct and discipline in junior sports. Watch: The Pakistan player had initially extended her arm for a handshake, but Chung was celebrating, seemingly with her team at the time. Annoyed by this and her loss, Ali showed the obscene gesture and left the court without a handshake, even as Chung promptly returned. It remains to be seen whether she will be punished for the unsportsmanlike conduct. This is not the first time a junior Pakistan player has ignited controversy for their unruly behaviour. During the U16 Davis Cup tie in Kazakhstan this May, a Pakistani player stirred controversy with a disrespectful handshake gesture after defeat. The Indian player stayed composed, walking away without reacting. Pakistan at Asian Junior Squash Championships Pakistan have otherwise asserted some dominance at the Asian Junior Individual Squash Championships in Gimcheon, as five of its players stormed into the semifinals with commanding performances on Thursday. Each of the five Pakistani contenders secured straight-game victories (3-0). In the Boys' Under-19 division, third seed Abdullah Nawaz delivered a confident performance against Hong Kong's Wong Wing Kuen. Controlling the tempo from the outset, Nawaz never allowed his opponent to find rhythm, sealing a straight-games victory with scores of 11-4, 11-6, 11-6. Meanwhile, in the Boys' Under-15 category, top seed Nauman Khan showcased agility in his 11-6, 11-5, 11-7 win over India's Harshal Rana. Joining him in the last four was fellow countryman Ahmad Rayyan Khan, who made short work of Malaysia's Armann Merzha bin Ashraff. The Boys' Under-13 competition also saw a strong Pakistani showing, as top seed Muhammad Sohail Adnan powered through his quarterfinal clash against India's Abhyuday Arora. On the girls' side, Mahnoor Ali delivered one of the standout performances of the day in the Under-17 category. Facing India's Anika Kalanki, Mahnoor was clinical and composed, beating the Indian 11-6, 11-2, 11-3 victory to book her spot in the semifinals.
India Today
a day ago
- Sport
- India Today
Watch: Pakistan's Mehwish Ali flashes middle finger after defeat at Squash Championship
Pakistan's squash player Mehwish Ali was seen engaging in unsportsmanlike conduct following her defeat to Hong Kong's Chung YL in the Round of 16 match at the 32nd Asian Junior Individual Championships, held at the Gimcheon Sports Complex in South Korea on Thursday, 3 July. Ali, who lost with the scoreline reading 11-13, 5-11, 11-13, 4-11, was seen showing the middle finger as she walked off the court after the match, drawing criticism for her YL later faced India's Ankita Dubey in the quarterfinals, where the young Indian player came out on top with a 11-8, 9-11, 11-7, 13-11 victory. Dubey's impressive run in the tournament ended in the semifinals, where she went down to Malaysia's Harleein Tan, the second seed, with the scores reading 11-8, 11-5, 8-11, squash player Mehwish Ali displaying a middle finger to her opponent after losing a match is inappropriate and unacceptable. This behavior is unsportsmanlike and she should be issued a fine or penalty. Mehwish should also reflect on her actions and apologize. Muneeb Farrukh (@Muneeb313_) July 3, 2025India enjoyed a strong showing overall at the event, with three players finishing on the podium. Amarya Bajaj picked up a bronze medal in the boys' U-13 singles category, Aryaman Singh secured bronze in the boys' U-15 event, and Ankita Dubey added another bronze for India in the girls' U-17 division with her semifinal finish. The incident involving Mehwish Ali has raised questions about player conduct and the response from governing bodies. It remains to be seen whether any disciplinary action will be taken against the Pakistani player for her behaviour, which was captured on video and circulated widely. This is not the first instance in recent months where a Pakistani junior athlete has been called out for unsportsmanlike in May, during the U16 Davis Cup tie between India and Pakistan held in Kazakhstan, a similar controversy emerged. Following Pakistan's defeat, a player from their camp was seen making a disrespectful attempt at a handshake with an Indian opponent. The gesture, which appeared dismissive and intentional, drew criticism online. The Indian player, however, chose not to react and walked away calmly. These repeated incidents have sparked concerns about the spirit of the game and the example being set for young athletes.- Ends
