HK sweeps the board at squash c'ships

HK sweeps the board at squash c'ships

JAKARTA (JP): Hong Kong's squash team yesterday proved that
"the winner takes it all" is not just an ABBA song.

The British Crown Colony grabbed all titles on offer at the
20th East Asian Squash Championships which ended yesterday at the
Pertamina squash courts in Simprug, South Jakarta.

The territory yesterday completed its clean sweep by winning
the men's team event and the women's team event. A week before,
on June 24, it had already taken both the men's and the women's
individual titles.

As with the individual events, the Hong Kong players, led by
world number 36 Abdul Faheem Khan, easily did away with their
team event opponents. In all six matches played for the men's
team event, Hong Kong won. Singapore finished second after
recording one loss and Malaysia third with two losses.

The same pattern held true for the women's team event. Hong
Kong suffered no losses at all. The Philippines followed in
second place with one loss and Japan in third place with two.

Host Indonesia finished sixth, both in the men's as well as in
the women's team events, far off target.

Muliana Sukardi, chairman of the organizing committee, had
said at the beginning of the championships on June 20, "We hope
that our men's team can finish among the top three." No target
had been set for the country's women's team.

Two years ago, at the championships in Manila, Hong Kong took
the men's team, the men's individual and the women's individual
gold medals, with Malaysia winning the remaining titles. (arf)