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.

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.

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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.

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