The sight of Muhammad Ashab Irfan and Noor Zaman storming into the men’s singles semifinals has provided Pakistan with one of the brightest moments of its Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games campaign. Both Pakistani squash players have guaranteed at least a bronze medal, but their victories should not be viewed merely as an opportunity to celebrate another podium finish. They should be seen as a reminder of what Pakistan can achieve when talent, preparation and ambition come together.

Ashab produced a fighting 3-1 victory over India’s Veer Chotrani, while Noor Zaman overcame Hong Kong’s Chi Hin Henry Leung by the same scoreline. Both now have a genuine opportunity to reach the final and fight for gold. For Pakistan, the immediate target must therefore be clear: do not settle for bronze. Fight for silver, and then fight for gold. That is the mentality Pakistan needs, not only in squash, but across every sport.

There is a troubling pattern in Pakistani sports that needs to be confronted honestly. Too often, a fourth-place finish, a personal best, reaching a quarter-final or simply winning one competitive match is presented as a major triumph. Personal bests are valuable for an athlete’s individual development, but at the Asian Games, where medals are the currency of elite international sport, they cannot become substitutes for podium ambitions.

Celebrating every improvement is understandable. Celebrating it as though it were equivalent to winning a medal is something else. Sometimes, the language of “personal best” becomes an excuse for institutional underachievement, a convenient way of making the grapes appear sour when the fruit remains out of reach.

Look at what is happening around Pakistan. China are once again demonstrating the depth of a sporting system built around identification, preparation and sustained investment. By September 24, China had already collected 80 gold medals, 30 silver and 20 bronze for a total of 130 medals. Japan, competing on home soil, had 20 gold, 34 silver and 37 bronze, while South Korea, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan were also producing substantial medal returns.

India, Pakistan’s traditional sporting rival, is also showing a broader competitive base. By September 25, India had moved to at least 20 medals, including two golds, with shooting, cricket, table tennis and squash among the sports contributing to its haul. The comparison is uncomfortable, but it is necessary.

India’s progress cannot simply be explained by its much larger population or economy. Its success is also visible in the diversity of its medal-winning sports and the increasing number of athletes capable of competing at the highest continental level. Its squash contingent alone has guaranteed multiple medals at these Games, with Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh reaching the singles semifinals and Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar advancing in mixed doubles.

Pakistan, meanwhile, entered the Games with hopes in traditional strongholds such as hockey, squash, kabaddi and cricket. There have been encouraging performances. The women’s cricket team won bronze, Asim Khan created history by securing Pakistan’s first Asian Games MMA medal, and the hockey team has made a strong start. But these achievements should become foundations, not excuses for complacency.

The most encouraging development now is squash. Noor Zaman and Ashab Irfan have demonstrated the competitive character Pakistan desperately needs. They have not travelled to Nagoya merely to participate. They have beaten opponents, handled pressure and reached the semifinals. Pakistan Squash Federation records show that both players reached the quarterfinals without dropping a game in the round of 16. Now comes the real test.

The difference between a bronze and a gold medal is often not talent alone. It is preparation, sports science, coaching, nutrition, psychology, fitness, exposure, competition planning and the ability to perform under pressure. This is precisely where Pakistan needs to rethink its entire sporting philosophy.

We cannot expect athletes to defeat highly organised Asian sporting powers after providing them with limited international exposure, inadequate facilities and irregular training structures. Nor can federations wait for a talented athlete to emerge and then suddenly expect that athlete to deliver an Olympic or Asian Games medal.

Medal-winning programmes are built years before the medal ceremony. China’s dominance, Japan’s depth, South Korea’s consistency and India’s expanding medal base offer Pakistan important lessons. Pakistan does not need to copy another country blindly. It needs to develop a system suited to its own circumstances, but that system must be serious, long-term and measurable.

The government has a major responsibility here. So do the Pakistan Sports Board, national federations, provincial sports departments, sponsors, educational institutions and corporate sector.

Investment should not be limited to sending athletes to major events. Athletes need year-round programmes. Coaches need professional development. Federations need performance targets. Promising youngsters need pathways from schools and clubs to national teams. Sports science, physiotherapy, nutrition and psychological preparation must become integral parts of elite sport rather than occasional additions.

Most importantly, Pakistan needs to change its definition of success. A personal best should be celebrated but followed by the question: what is next? A fourth-place finish should be acknowledged, but followed by the question: why did we miss the podium?

A bronze medal should be respected, but followed by the question: how do we turn bronze into silver and silver into gold? That is not disrespect to athletes. It is respect for their potential.

Pakistan has repeatedly produced extraordinary sporting talent. Arshad Nadeem’s Olympic javelin triumph proved that Pakistan can reach the summit when an athlete receives the right environment and possesses exceptional determination. Squash has a glorious history, and the current generation has already shown that the talent pipeline has not disappeared. The five medals won by Pakistan at the 2026 Asian Junior Squash Championships, including two golds, were another indication of the talent available.

The question is whether Pakistan can build the system required to convert that talent into sustained senior-level success. For Noor Zaman and Ashab Irfan, the message should be simple: the medal is already assured; now chase the final.

For the rest of Pakistani sport, the message should be even clearer: stop measuring achievement by how close we came to the podium. The Asian Games are not merely a participation festival. They are a continental championship.

Pakistan must go to such events believing that gold is possible, and preparing accordingly. If that ambition returns to our sporting culture, the medals will eventually follow. If we continue celebrating survival as success, we should not be surprised when the podium remains beyond our reach.

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