On Wednesday, Pakistan clinched their first victory in the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy by defeating Japan 2-1 at the Moqi Hockey Training Base in Hulunbuir City, Inner Mongolia, China. The match saw Nadeem Ahmed score Pakistan’s opening goal in the first quarter. Despite Japan’s equalizer in the second quarter, Sufyan Khan’s decisive goal in the 10th minute of the same quarter secured Pakistan’s win.
Prior to this victory, Pakistan’s performance in the tournament had been marked by draws. Their first match on September 8 ended in a 2-2 stalemate against Malaysia. Pakistan, initially trailing due to Malaysia’s goal in the second quarter, rallied in the fourth quarter with Hanan Shahid scoring twice. However, Malaysia managed to level the score before the final whistle.
In their second match on September 9, Pakistan again drew 2-2, this time with South Korea. South Korea led initially, but Pakistan equalized with two goals from Hanan Shahid. Despite their efforts, South Korea managed to even the score, resulting in another draw.
Looking ahead, Pakistan’s remaining fixtures in the tournament include a match against China on September 12 and another against India on September 14. Their performance in these upcoming games will be crucial as they seek to advance further in the tournament.
Pakistan’s Asian Champions Trophy Schedule:
- vs Malaysia (2-2) — September 8
- vs South Korea (2-2) — September 9
- vs Japan (2-1) — September 11
- vs China — September 12
- vs India — September 14
