Category: Hockey

HULUNBUIR CITY: Pakistan defeated Japan 2-1 to register their first victory in the ongoing Asian Hockey Champions Trophy 2024 at the Moqi Hockey Training Base here on Wednesday.

Ahmad Nadeem opened the scoring for Pakistan in the ninth minute after finding Shahid Hannan and sending the ball to the back of the net. Sufyan Khan soon doubled Pakistan’s lead in the 21st minute with a sublime drag flick.

However, Raiki Fujishima helped Japan make a subtle comeback six minutes later and reduced the deficit.

Japan made efforts to level the scores, but the Green Shirts’ dominant gameplay maintained their lead until the final hooter.

Prior to this game, Pakistan’s second fixture in the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy ended in a 2-2 draw as they failed to defend their narrow one-goal lead in the final quarter against South Korea.

South Korea opened the scoring in the dying minutes of the second quarter, courtesy of Hyun Jigwang. Their lead remained intact until the third quarter and it appeared that Pakistan were closing in on their first defeat in the ongoing tournament.

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The national team, however, made an astounding comeback as Shahid Hanan scored back-to-back last-minute goals to give the Green Shirts what appeared to be a decisive lead.

But just a few seconds before the final whistle, South Korea equalized through Kim Sunghyun and denied Pakistan a victory.

Pakistan tasted the same fortune in their Asian Hockey Champions Trophy opener against Malaysia.

They started their campaign with a 2-2 draw despite dominating the majority of the match.

The Green Shirts started the game strongly, taking the lead in the second quarter, thanks to a goal by Sufyan Khan.

In the third quarter, Nadeem Ahmed extended their lead with another goal, before Malaysia made a comeback with a goal from the penalty corner.

Pakistan were cruising towards victory with a 2-1 lead, however, Aiman Rozemi’s late goal helped Malaysia level the scores in the dying minutes of the game.

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HULUNBUIR CITY: South Korea came from behind to hold Pakistan for a draw in the fourth match of the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy here in Inner Mongolia, China.

Pakistan’s second fixture in the ongoing tournament also ended in a 2-2 draw as they failed to defend their narrow one-goal lead in the final quarter.

South Korea opened the scoring in the dying minutes of the second quarter, courtesy of Hyun Jigwang. Their lead remained intact until the third quarter and it appeared that Pakistan were closing in on their first defeat in the ongoing tournament.

The national team, however, made an astounding comeback as Shahid Hanan scored back-to-back last-minute goals to give the Green Shirts what appeared to be a decisive lead.

But just a few seconds before the final whistle, South Korea equalized through Kim Sunghyun and denied Pakistan a victory.

Pakistan tasted the same fortune in their Asian Hockey Champions Trophy opener against Malaysia.

They started their campaign with a 2-2 draw despite dominating the majority of the match.

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The Green Shirts started the game strongly, taking the lead in the second quarter, thanks to a goal by Sufyan Khan.

In the third quarter, Nadeem Ahmed extended their lead with another goal, before Malaysia made a comeback with a goal from the penalty corner.

Pakistan were cruising towards victory with a 2-1 lead, however, Aiman Rozemi’s late goal helped Malaysia level the scores in the dying minutes of the game.

Meanwhile, in other Monday fixtures of the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy, India outclassed Japan 5-1 while China crushed Malaysia 2-0.

The ongoing tournament is the 8th edition of the Asian Champions Trophy. Pakistan have won the tournament in 2012 and 2013, while India have won in 2011, 2016 and 2023.

The 2018 edition saw Pakistan and India jointly sharing the trophy as the final was forfeited due to persistent rain.

Defending champions India won the prestigious tournament last year by defeating Malaysia 4–3 in the final.

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HULUNBUIR: Defending champions India kicked off their Asian Hockey Champions Trophy 2024 campaign with a dominant 3-0 victory over China at the Moqi Hockey Training Base here on Sunday.

Sukhjeet Singh opened the scoring in the first quarter to give the defending champions an early lead.

China posed no threat to the Indian side as Uttam Singh and Abhishek scored in the second and third quarters, respectively to seal the victory.

India will next face Japan on September 9 before facing Malaysia, South Korea and Pakistan on September 11, 12 and 14 respectively.

Earlier today, Malaysia came from behind to draw 2-2 against Pakistan in their Asian Hockey Champions Trophy 2024 opener.

The Green Shirts started the game strongly as they took the lead in the second quarter, thanks to a goal by Sufyan Khan.

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In the third quarter, Nadeem Ahmed extended their lead with another goal, before Malaysia made a comeback with a goal from the penalty corner.

Pakistan were cruising towards victory with a 2-1 lead, however, Aiman Rozemi’s late goal helped Malaysia level the scores in the dying minutes of the game.

Meanwhile, in the opening game of the tournament, South Korea and Japan settled for a 5-5 stalemate in the opening game of the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy 2024.

The ongoing tournament is the 8th edition of the Asian Champions Trophy. Pakistan have won the tournament in 2012 and 2013, while India have won in 2011, 2016 and 2023.

The 2018 edition saw Pakistan and India jointly sharing the trophy as the final was forfeited due to persistent rain.

Defending champions India won the prestigious tournament last year by defeating Malaysia 4–3 in the final.

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HULUNBUIR: Pakistan started their Asian Hockey Champions Trophy 2024 campaign with a 2-2 draw with Malaysia at the Moqi Hockey Training Base here on Sunday.

The Green Shirts started the game strongly as they took the lead in the second quarter, thanks to a goal by Sufyan Khan.

In the third quarter, Nadeem Ahmed extended their lead with another goal, before Malaysia made a comeback with a goal from the penalty corner.

Pakistan were cruising towards victory with a 2-1 lead, however, Aiman Rozemi’s late goal helped Malaysia level the scores in the dying minutes of the game.

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Earlier in the day, South Korea and Japan settled for a 5-5 stalemate in the opening game of the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy 2024.

The ongoing tournament is the 8th edition of the Asian Champions Trophy. Pakistan have won the tournament in 2012 and 2013, while India have won in 2011, 2016 and 2023.

The 2018 edition saw Pakistan and India jointly sharing the trophy as the final was forfeited due to persistent rain.

Defending champions India won the prestigious tournament last year by defeating Malaysia 4–3 in the final.

Pakistan will face South Korea, Japan, China and India in their next fixtures on September 9, 11, 12 and 14 respectively.

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LAHORE: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) decided to impose a lifetime ban on three national players along with a team physio for seeking asylum in Europe, ARY News reported on Thursday.

During a press conference, PHF Secretary Olympian Mujahid Ali revealed that players Murtaza Yaqoob, Ehtisham Aslam, Abdul Rahman, and the team physio travelled to Poland with the national team but failed to return.

Instead, they sought asylum abroad, reportedly submitting letters of apology to the Pakistan Hockey Federation.

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Rana Mujahid clarified that the players left the country without obtaining the necessary No Objection Certificate (NOC), which is mandatory for such international travel.

As a result, the PHF has decided to ban these players and the physio for life, effectively ending their careers with the national team.

The Secretary further stated that the PHF would be writing to the Ministry of Home Affairs for further action against the individuals involved. These players were part of the Karachi camp in preparation for the upcoming Azlan Shah Cup.

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The Netherlands beat Germany in a shoot-out to win the men’s Paris Olympics hockey gold Thursday, breaking a 24-year drought in what they hope will be the first of a Dutch double.

A tense game ended all square at 1-1, with fourth-quarter goals in quick succession from Dutch captain Thierry Brinkman and Germany’s Thies Prinz.

The match went to a shoot-out, with each player going one-on-one with the goalkeeper.

The first two efforts for each side were saved before Brinkman put the Dutch 1-0 up.

Dutch keeper Pirmin Blaak then saved again from Prinz, giving the Netherlands the edge over their bitter rivals.

Thijs van Dam and Justus Weigand both netted for the Netherlands, leaving Duco Telgenkamp with the chance to win the match.

The 22-year-old nonchalantly scooped the ball beyond Jean-Paul Danneberg in the German goal to give the Dutch their first gold medal in the men’s competition since 2000.

The Netherlands face China in the Paris Olympics women’s Hockey final on Friday.

The Germans and the Dutch share a lengthy rivalry as two of the great powerhouses of world hockey.

Germany, the reigning world champions, came into the match with the confidence of knowing they had edged the pool game between the sides 1-0.

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They also had history on their side having won all four of their previous Olympic finals including against the Dutch in London in 2012.

For their part, the Dutch team were keen to bounce back from what was seen as a disastrous campaign in Tokyo, which saw them finish sixth — their worst result since 1984.

The first half was played at a furious pace as both sides looked for a way through the tightly organised defences.

That made for just four shots at goal, three of them falling to Germany, who also had the only penalty corner which Tom Grambusch was unable to convert.

It was the Germans, under the watchful eye of Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the stands, who dominated possession with 62 percent over the first 30 minutes.

The Dutch, cheered on by another vast army of orange-clad supporters, began to assert themselves as the game moved into the third quarter.

They made their dominance count in the opening minute of the fourth quarter.

Koen Bijen flicked the ball across goal for Brinkman to stab home on the volley from close range.

Shortly after, Gonzalo Peillat — an Olympic champion with Argentina in 2016 — hooked brilliantly off the German line as Bijen’s flick appeared to be heading in.

Immediately the Germans were up the other end, forcing a penalty corner which Prinz, on his second attempt, slammed past Blaak.

Johannes Grosse came close to a winner two minutes from time with Blaak again making a good stop and the Dutch then failed to capitalise on a penalty corner — their only one of the game — in the final minute, sending the game into a dramatic shoot-out.

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COLOMBES: India men’s Hockey team came from behind to down Spain 2-1 and clinched the bronze medal in the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024.

Spain had a flying start to the third-place playoff as they secured an early lead through their captain Marc Miralles in the 18th minute.

The early deficit, however, did not haunt India much as they hit back in the 30th minute to draw level, courtesy of their skipper Harmanpreet Singh.

Singh struck again two minutes later to put India ahead in the 33rd minute.

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India’s defence then did well to refrain Spain from firing in an equalizer and clung on to their lead till the final whistle.

Notably, a bronze in the Paris Olympics 2024 took India’s tally of Olympic medals in Hockey to 13.

This was the nation’s second-consecutive bronze medal in field hockey, their first since Munich 1972.

India’s men’s hockey team entered the Paris Olympics 2024 as the most successful side in Olympic history with eight gold, one silver, and three bronze medals.

The nation that was going downhill in Hockey defied all the odds and ended a 41-year medal drought by claiming the bronze medal at Tokyo 2020.

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RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir heaped praise on the Pakistan hockey team for exhibiting brilliant performance in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2024, ARY News reported Friday.

As per a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the national hockey team visited the General Headquarters Rawalpindi.

During the interaction, the COAS commended the team for their outstanding performance and said that the players have brought immense pride to the nation.

“We are committed to providing them with comprehensive support to ensure their continued success,” COAS General Asim Munir added. He also extended his best wishes to the players for their future endeavors.

The President of PHF expressed gratitude to the COAS for the opportunity to meet and interact with the team.

Pakistan secured the second spot in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2024 as Japan were crowned after a nerve-testing 4-1 victory over Pakistan in the penalty shoot-out.

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Pakistan and Japan, both unbeaten in the tournament, went hard at each other in the final and turned out to be inseparable by the end of the full time as their scores remained tied at 2-2.

This was Pakistan’s first appearance in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup final after a long 13-year hiatus.

The national men’s hockey team gave brilliant performances throughout the tournament defeating hosts Malaysia, South Korea and Canada while settling for a stalemate against New Zealand in the group stage.

The meeting was also attended by President Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Tariq Hussain and other PHF officials.

President of Pakistan Hockey Federation Tariq Hussain and other PHF officials were also present on the occasion.

The President of PHF expressed gratitude to the Army Chief for meeting and interacting with the team.

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IPOH: Japan were crowned the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2024 champions as they secured a nerve-testing 4-1 victory over Pakistan in the penalty shoot-out.

Pakistan and Japan, both unbeaten in the tournament, went hard at each other in the final and turned out to be inseparable by the end of the full time as their scores remained tied at 2-2.

Japan started the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2024 final on a positive note when Seren Tanaka scored a field goal in the 12th minute.

Their early lead persisted till the conclusion of the first quarter and the entirety of the second despite Pakistan’s several attempts for an equaliser.

Pakistan then finally got the reward for their attacking approach in the third quarter as Ajaz Ahmed struck in the 34th minute.

The Green Shirts then took the lead in an enthralling final as Abdul Rahman in the 37th minute.

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Trailing by one goal, Japan scripted a brilliant comeback as Kazumasa Matsumoto netted the equaliser just two minutes into the final quarter.

Both sides then made multiple efforts to score the tie-breaker but the scoreline remained intact at 2-2, forcing the enthralling final to be decided on the penalty shoot-out.

Japan displayed a dominating performance in the penalty shoot-out by converting all four penalties while Pakistan could score one, which came in the third attempt when Ammad Butt successfully buried the ball in the nets.

For the unversed, this was Pakistan’s first appearance in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup final after a long 13-year hiatus.

The national men’s hockey team gave brilliant performances throughout the tournament defeating hosts Malaysia, South Korea and Canada while settling for a stalemate against New Zealand in the group stage.

Pakistan also locked horns with Japan in the round match and held the eventual champions for a 1-1 draw.

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IPOH: Pakistan extended their unbeaten run in the ongoing Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2024 as they held New Zealand for a 1-1 stalemate in their last group match here on Friday.

Both teams battled hard in the first half but failed to break the deadlock, however, New Zealand’s Luke Holmes earned the advantage for his side with a brilliant field goal in the 35th minute.

The lead did not last long as Pakistan’s Abu Bakr Mahmood scored from a penalty corner to equalize only eight minutes later.

The 1-1 finish ensured Pakistan would march into the final against Japan with an unbeaten streak in the round-robin stage. The final is scheduled for 11 May (tomorrow).