NEWCOMERS Asia Insurance captured the Fujifilm Division One league crown with one match yet to play after beating arch rivals South China Brokerage 2-1 in the penultimate round at the Hongkong Squash Centre last night.
Asia Insurance head the four-team chart with 39 points, an unassailable six points ahead of defending champions South China Brokerage. Fuji Sports Institute and Hi-Tec Football Club trailed far behind with 24 points and 14 points respectively.
Fayyaz Mohammad gave Asia Insurance the first point with a comprehensive 15-6, 15-11, 15-11 triumph over junior international Au Chun-tat.
Andrew Shum Siu-chung, however, put South China Brokerage back into the fight by coming back from one-game down to stop former Hongkong champion Tony Choi Yuk-kwan in the battle of the number ones.
Choi braved the pain of a sore elbow and took the first game but fitness told as Shum ran him down and emerged a convincing winner, 5-15, 15-8, 15-7, 15-4.
Sunny Poon Yat-sing rose to the occasion in the deciding rubber to beat Dick Leung Kan-fai 15-4, 15-13, 15-12, a result which sealed the $30,000 title for Asia Insurance.