Category: Hockey

HANGZHOU: Pakistan men’s hockey team crashed out of the Asian Games 2023 medal race following a 3-2 defeat against Japan on Monday.

Japan needed to win the all-important clash to book their place in the semi-final of the Asian Games 2023 Hockey event while the Green Shirts only needed to avoid a defeat.

However, the result came out in Japan’s favour as they edged Pakistan 3-2 and made it to the final four.

Pakistan got off to a flying start as they opened their account just five minutes into the game through Arshad Liaquat only for Japan to hit two goals in response in the sixth and 17th minutes via Tanaka Kaito and Fukuda Kentaro, respectively and took the lead.

Fujishima Raiki then enhanced Japan’s lead to 3-1 in the 28th minute but Pakistan cut their lead soon after through Arbaz Ahmad.

Both sides threatened to score more goals in the final quarter of the sea-saw contest but the scoreboard remained intact at 3-2 till the final whistle in Japan’s favour.

A narrow defeat against Japan meant Pakistan have now crashed out of the Asian Games 2023 medal race and will compete against a third-placed side from Pool B for the fifth and sixth position on October 6.

Earlier in the tournament, Pakistan hockey team suffered a 10-2 thrashing at the hands of arch-rivals India on Saturday.

India had a flying start to the match as they took a dominant 2-0 lead over Pakistan in the first quarter, courtesy of Harmanpreet Singh and Mandeep Singh, who scored one each.

The men in blue then doubled their lead in the second quarter and attained the complete command of the highly-anticipated match.

Pakistan finally showed some resistance in the third quarter as they managed to pull two back but it was insufficient as India still managed to further extend their lead by scoring three.

India then enjoyed another dominant quarter as they scored three more in the fourth to finish the match with a scoreline of 10-2, one of their largest victories against Pakistan.

Harmanpreet Singh was the star for India, scoring four, followed by Varun Kumar, who scored two while Mandeep Singh, Sumit, Shamsher Singh and Lalit Kumar Upadhyay scored one each.

For Pakistan, Mohammad Sufyan Khan and Waheed Rana Ashraf could score one apiece.

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HANGZHOU: Arch-rivals India handed a 10-2 thrashing to Pakistan on Saturday in the hockey event of the ongoing Asian Games 2023.

India had a flying start to the match as they took a dominant 2-0 lead over Pakistan in the first quarter, courtesy of Harmanpreet Singh and Mandeep Singh, who scored one each.

The men in blue then doubled their lead in the second quarter and attained the complete command of the highly-anticipated match.

Pakistan finally showed some resistance in the third quarter as they managed to pull two back but it was insufficient as India still managed to further extend their lead by scoring three.

India then enjoyed another dominant quarter as they scored three more in the fourth to finish the match with a scoreline of 10-2, one of their largest victories against Pakistan.

Harmanpreet Singh was the star for India, scoring four, followed by Varun Kumar, who scored two while Mandeep Singh, Sumit, Shamsher Singh and Lalit Kumar Upadhyay scored one each.

For Pakistan, Mohammad Sufyan Khan and Waheed Rana Ashraf could score one apiece.

Pakistan will now take on Japan on October 2 in a bid to make it to the semi-finals of the Asian Games 2023.

A draw against Japan would propel Pakistan into the final four whereas, for Japan, it would be a must-win game.

Pakistan Squad for Asian Games 2023:

Goalkeepers: Akmal Hussain, Abdullah Ishtiyaq Khan, Waqar, Ali Raza, and Abdullah Sheikh.

Defenders: Mohammad Abdullah, Arbaz Ahmad, Mohammad Sufyan Khan, Aqeel Ahmed, and Mohammad Bilal Aslam.

Midfielders: Usama Bashir, Mohammad Murtaza Yaqoob, Arbaz Ayaz, Ahtisham Aslam, Mohammad Baqar, Mohammad Nadeem Khan, Mohammad Imran and Syed Shehbaz Haider.

Forwards: Mohammad Imad, Afraz, Roman, Arshad Liaquat, Abdul Qayyum, Abdul Rehman (Wapda), Waqar Ali, Mohammad Arsalan, Mohammad Umar Bhat, Mohammad Shahzaib Khan, Abdul Wahab, Zikriya Hayat, Bisharat Ali, Rana Waleed, Hamza Fayaz and Abdul Rehman.

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CHENNAI: Pakistan hockey team concluded their Asian Hockey Champions Trophy journey at fifth position after handing China a thumping 6-1 defeat on Friday.

The Green Shirts started the game on high as they quickly took a 4-0 lead in the first quarter.

Although, China, showed some grit and managed to score their solitary goal in the third quarter but the green-shirts eventually pulled them back and scored two more goals to hand them a heavy defeat by a margin of five goals.

Pakistan’s Mohammad Ammad and Mohammad Sufyan both scored two goals each, while Hanan Shahid and Abdul Rana each scored one goal.

China’s Benhai Chen scored the only goal of the match in the 35th minute through a penalty corner.

This was the first time that the Green Shirts failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy since its inception in 2011.

The national team was knocked out of the Asian Champions Trophy, after facing a daunting 0-4 defeat at the hands of arch-rivals India on Wednesday.

Pakistan’s only victory in the Asian Champions Trophy came against China, which finished at the bottom of the table with one point only.

Prior to that game, Pakistan was winless in the Asian Champions Trophy, as they drew against Japan (3-3), and defending champions South Korea (1-1), while, they were handed a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Malaysia in their first game.

Pakistan ended up with the same points as Japan and South Korea, however, it failed to qualify due to goal difference, as the other two teams progressed to the next round.

South Korea will face Malaysia in the first semi-final today, meanwhile, India will face Japan in the second semi-final on the same day.

Pakistan previously won the tournament in 2012 and 2013, while they shared the trophy with India in 2018 as the final was forfeited due to persistent rain. Meanwhile, India have won the title in 2011 and 2016.

READ: PM Shehbaz Sharif orders inquiry into PHF matters

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to investigate the irregularities of the elections of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) and other matters, ARY News reported. 

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has taken notice of irregularities in various matters, including the elections of the PHF.

He has directed for a thorough investigation into these matters and has also instructed for a reference to be sent to the FIA.

Last month, on July 19, a special committee chaired by Khawaja Asif convened to discuss the PHF matters. Following the meeting, recommendations were formulated to address the irregularities and were subsequently forwarded to PM Shehbaz Sharif.

In light of these recommendations, PM Shehbaz Sharif has ordered transparent conduct of the PHF elections, ensuring a fair process. He has also directed a comprehensive review of the Hockey Clubs and the Electoral College.

The Pakistan Sports Board will implement the Prime Minister’s directives.

It is evident that the state of national sport hockey is dire, and recently, the performance of the Pakistan team in the Asian Champions Trophy held in India was notably inadequate.

The national team was knocked out of the Asian Champions Trophy, after facing a daunting 0-4 defeat at the hands of arch-rivals India on Wednesday.

Pakistan ended up with the same points as Japan and South Korea, however, it failed to qualify due to goal difference, as the other two teams progressed to the next round.

The green shirts failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy for the first time since its inception in 2011.

In this aforementioned event, Pakistan secured a sole victory in the match against China, while facing defeats against Malaysia and India and managing draws against Japan and Korea.

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CHENNAI: Pakistan were knocked out of the Asian Champions Trophy, after facing a daunting 0-4 defeat at the hands of arch-rivals India on Wednesday.

Pakistan ended up with the same points as Japan and South Korea, however, it failed to qualify due to goal difference, as the other two teams progressed to the next round.

The green shirts failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy for the first time since its inception in 2011.

Pakistan started the game on a high with some great groundwork, however, Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh gave his team the lead with a goal just before the end of the first quarter.

India never looked back after that, as they dominated the second quarter and improved their lead with another goal by Harmanpreet Singh off a penalty corner.

Indian team kept challenging Pakistan’s defence and bore fruits as Jugraj Singh and Akashdeep Singh scored one goal each to finish the game at 4-0.

This loss extended Pakistan’s winless streak against India to 16 games, as they last won against arch-rivals back in 2016 in South Asian games.

Pakistan’s only victory in the Asian Champions Trophy came against China in the last game, which finished at the bottom of the table with one point only.

Prior to that game, Pakistan was winless in the Asian Champions Trophy, as they drew against Japan (3-3), and defending champions South Korea (1-1), while, they were handed a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Malaysia in their first game.

Pakistan will face China for the fifth and sixth place playoff on August 11.

South Korea will face Malaysia in the first semi-final on August 11, meanwhile, India will face Japan in the second semi-final on the same day.

Pakistan previously won the tournament in 2012 and 2013, while they shared the trophy with India in 2018 as the final was forfeited due to persistent rain. Meanwhile, India have won the title in 2011 and 2016.

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CHENNAI: Afraz’s match-winner lifted Pakistan to keep their semi-final hopes alive with a convincing 2-1 victory over China in the ongoing Asian Champions Trophy.

Pakistan started the game on a high as they maintained pressure on the Chinese defence right from the start and soon got the reward in the 19th minute, courtesy of Muhammad Sufiyan Khan’s brilliant goal.

The green shirts completely dominated the first half while Chinese players struggled to keep possession. However, Jiesheng Gao helped level things for China with an excellent flick from a penalty corner in the 32nd minute.

China’s comeback into the game was however cut short as Afraz scored in the 39th minute to give Pakistan a match-defining lead.

The green shirts put on a great effort to prevent China from firing the equalizer and thus tasted their maiden success in the ongoing Asian Champions Trophy.

Pakistan’s Rana Abdul, who was adjudged the player of the match termed the victory over China a crucial one and revealed that the young team is looking forward to their tie against arch-rivals India.

“This game was really crucial for us. The young team played incredibly and we are looking forward to the India game,” said Abdul in the post-match presentation.

Pakistan’s first win in the Asian Champions Trophy propelled them to fourth place. Meanwhile, China’s hopes of reaching the semifinals have been diminished.

Notably, Pakistan was winless in the Asian Champions Trophy before this game, as they drew 3-3 against Japan yesterday.

Prior to that, they drew 1-1 against defending champions South Korea, while, they were handed a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Malaysia in their first game.

Pakistan will now face arch-rivals India on August 9, while China will face Japan in their final group-stage match on the same day.

This is the seventh edition of the Asian Champions Trophy. Pakistan have won the tournament in 2012 and 2013, while India have won in 2011 and 2016.

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

Defending champions South Korea won the tournament in 2021 after thumping Japan on penalties.

READ: Pakistan endure setback ahead of China clash in Asian Hockey Champions Trophy

CHENNAI: Pakistan hockey team sustained a big blow ahead of the clash against China in the ongoing Asian Hockey Champions Trophy as Muhammad Abdullah’s participation in the match is in doubt due to ailment.

According to the national team’s coach, Olympian Muhammad Saqlain told that Muhammad Abdullah complained of a high fever, and was subsequently admitted to a local hospital here.

However, after remaining under observation for a few hours, doctors revealed that Abdullah’s health status is improving and he will be discharged in the evening.

Pakistan’s team is yet to win a single game in the Asian Champions Trophy 2023, as they drew 3-3 against Japan yesterday.

Japan had the upper hand until the final minutes of the game, however, Pakistan’s Muhammad Khan scored an equalizing penalty stroke in the last five minutes to draw the game.

Pakistan started the match on a high with a goal in the 9th minute but only for Japan to equalize in the 13th minute. But Pakistan took the lead again, just minutes before halftime.

Japan came with renewed energy in the second half and kept creating chances until they scored one to equalize.

Japan, filled with one momentum, extended their dominance and took the lead with another goal.

Japan’s 3-2 advantage lasted until Muhammad Khan scored an equalizing penalty just minutes before the final whistle.

Pakistan’s last game also ended in a 1-1 draw against South Korea. They had the lead early on, but couldn’t hold on to it for long as South Korea scored in the 53rd minute.

This is the 7th edition of the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy. Pakistan have won the tournament in 2012 and 2013, while India have won in 2011 and 2016.

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

Defending champions South Korea won the tournament in 2021 after thumping Japan on penalties.

Green Shirts will face China, today, while their clash with arch-rivals India is scheduled on August 9.

READ: Pakistan’s squad for Hockey Asian Champions Trophy announced

CHENNAI: Pakistan hockey team remained winless in the ongoing Asian Hockey Champions Trophy after their hard-fought match against Japan drew at 3-3.

Japan had the upper hand until the final minutes of the game, however, Pakistan’s Muhammad Khan scored an equalizing penalty stroke in the last five minutes to draw the game.

Pakistan started the match on a high with a goal in the 9th minute but only for Japan to equalize in the 13th minute. But Pakistan took the lead again, just minutes before halftime.

Japan came with renewed energy in the second half and kept creating chances until they scored one to equalize.

Japan, filled with one momentum, extended their dominance and took the lead with another goal.

Japan’s 3-2 advantage lasted until Muhammad Khan scored an equalizing penalty just minutes before the final whistle.

Pakistan’s last game also ended in a 1-1 draw against South Korea. They had the lead early on, but couldn’t hold on to it for long as South Korea scored in the 53rd minute.

This is the 7th edition of the Asian Champions Trophy. Pakistan have won the tournament in 2012 and 2013, while India have won in 2011 and 2016.

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

Defending champions South Korea won the tournament in 2021 after thumping Japan on penalties.

Green Shirts will face China, and India in their next fixtures on August 7 and 9 respectively.

READ: Korea hold Pakistan for a 1-1 draw in Asian Hockey Champions Trophy

CHENNAI: Pakistan team extended their winless streak in the ongoing Asian Hockey Champions Trophy, as they drew 1-1 against defending champions South Korea here on Friday.

Pakistan started off well with Hanan Shahid’s field goal in the 18th minute, however, South Korea equalized in the 53rd minute, courtesy of a penalty stroke by Jihun Yang.

Both teams battled hard until the final whistle but couldn’t score a tie-breaker.

Previously, Pakistan was handed a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Malaysia 3-1 in their first game.

Pakistan, alongside India, are the most successful side of the tournament, having won the title thrice. Pakistan won the tournament in 2012 and 2013, while India won in 2011 and 2016.

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

Meanwhile, South Korea are participating in the ongoing tournament as the defending champions, winning the previous edition of the tournament in 2021.

Green Shirts now face Japan and China in their next fixtures on August 6 and 7 respectively.

The green shirts will then lock horns with arch-rivals India in their last round fixture on August 9.

Pakistan squad for Asian Hockey Champions Trophy

Muhammad Umar Bhatta (c), Akmal Hussain, Abdullah Ishtiaq Khan, Muhammad Abdullah, Muhammad Sufyan Khan, Ehtsham Aslam, Osama Bashir, Aqeel Ahmed, Arshad Liaquat, Muhammad Imad, Abdul Hanan Shahid, Zakaria Hayat, Rana Abdul Waheed Ashraf (Vice Captain), Roman, Muhammad Murtaza Yaqoob, Muhammad Shahzaib Khan, Afraz, Abdul Rahman, while the standby includes Ali Raza, Muhammad Baqir, Muhammad Nadeem Khan, Abdul Wahab, Waqar Ali, Muhammad Arsalan and Abdul Qayyum.

Pakistan’s remaining matches schedule

August 6 – vs Japan
August 7 – vs China
August 9 – vs India

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Pakistan men’s team reached India on Tuesday to partake in the upcoming Asian Hockey Champions Trophy, scheduled to commence on August 3.

According to the details, the national team will travel to Amritsar via Wagah Border before flying out to Delhi and then Chennai where the continental event will take place.

Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) last week, issued a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) to the national men’s Hockey team to partake in the tournament.

Last month, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) selection committee unveiled an 18-member squad for the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy.

The 18-member squad with seven stand-by players were finalised after the conclusion of two-day trials and was approved by PHF President Brigadier Khalid Sajjad Khokhar.

Umar Bhutta will continue to lead the national men’s hockey team while Abdul Waheed Ashraf will serve as his deputy in the Asian Champions Trophy.

The recently-announced squad includes Akmal Hussain, Abdullah Ishtiaq Khan, Muhammad Abdullah, Muhammad Sufyan Khan, Ehtisham Aslam, Osama Bashir, Aqeel Ahmed, Arshad Liaquat, Muhammad Imad, Abdul Hanan Shahid, Zakaria Hayat, Rana Abdul Waheed Ashraf (vc), Muhammad Umar Bhatta (c), Roman, Muhammad Murtaza Yaqub, Muhammad Shahzaib Khan, Afraz and Abdul Rahman.

Meanwhile, Ali Raza, Muhammad Baqir, Muhammad Nadeem Khan, Abdul Wahab, Waqar Ali, Muhammad Arsalan and Abdul Qayyum have been included in the stand-by players’ list.

Last month, the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) unveiled the schedule of the upcoming Asian Hockey Champions Trophy.

As per the statement released by the AHF, the six-team tournament will run from August 3 to 12 in Chennai.

The tournament will begin with Korea and Japan playing the first game, while hosts, India will play the third game of the opening day when they take on China.

The six-team tournament will see Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Japan, China, and India battle it out for top honours. All the participating teams are placed in one pool and the positions on the points table will be decided by a league system.

Pakistan will start their Asian Hockey Champions Trophy campaign against Malaysia on August 3 before taking on Korea on August 4, Japan on August 6 and China on August 7.

The green shirts will then lock horns with arch-rivals India in their last round fixture on August 9.

The final of the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy will be held on August 12.

Notably, Pakistan and India are the most successful sides of the tournament, having won the title thrice each while Korea will participate in the upcoming edition as the defending champions, who won the previous edition in 2021.

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