VIDEO: Day 5 Sports Highlights

Day 5 featured the men’s football quarter final between Canada and the United States, as well as action in Badminton, Basketball and Throwball.

“It was one of the greatest games I’ve seen.”

This was how one fan — Canada’s Ashifa Lalani — described the men’s football quarter final between Canada Red and USA Red that had to go to extra time before Canada won 3-2.

Canada Red, one of the gold-medal favourites in men’s soccer, played to form early on, controlling possession and scoring two goals for a 2-0 lead before the first half was 30 minutes old. USA Red got themselves back in the match with a shot to the corner Canada’s goalkeeper would likely want to have back. Minutes later, USA scored again, tying the game 2-2 before halftime.

“Our team did really well scoring two goals to tie the match,” said the captain of USA Red, Amirali Meghani.

Despite USA’s quality performance, they couldn’t stop Canada’s Hoshang Noor Ali from scoring the winning goal in the first half of the two 15 minute periods of extra time.

“I saw the gap through the defenders and took my chance,” said Noor Ali immediately after the match. “I was determined and took the shot right from across the goalie and it went into the net,”

Canada Red will face Tajikistan in the semifinal on Wednesday.

Another of Day 5’s highlights came in badminton. Bangladesh’s Adiba Sulaiman Ajanee and Shabnam Barkat Ali faced Pakistan’ Shama Perveen and Shazia Ghazi in women’s doubles. Ajani and Barkat Ali advanced to the semifinal by winning in three sets 14-21, 21-17, 21-14.

In one of the men’s basketball quarterfinals, USA White defeated Tajikistan Red 41-36. With the win, USA made it through to the semi final where they’ll face USA Blue.

Finally, in the women’s throwball, India beat Pakistan in their last match of the group stage. India won in straight sets 25-13, 25-19 and will face Uganda in the semi final.

Despite Team Pakistan’s loss, their crowd cheered and was happy for both sides. “We we are here for Ismaili brothers and sisters,” said one Pakistani fan.