Pakistan enjoyed a strong day of junior hockey results in China, with both the men’s and women’s national teams securing their places in the knockout stages of their respective Junior Asia Cup tournaments.
Pakistan produced a remarkable second-half turnaround to defeat Malaysia 5-2 and book their place in the semi-finals of the Men’s Junior Hockey Asia Cup.
Malaysia controlled much of the opening half and went ahead in the ninth minute through Muhammad Salehi. Pakistan struggled to create a breakthrough before the interval, and Malaysia carried a 1-0 lead into halftime.
The complexion of the match changed dramatically after the restart as Pakistan launched an aggressive attacking spell. Nadeem Khan restored parity in the 32nd minute before Abdullah Sami Rana completed the turnaround four minutes later to give Pakistan a 2-1 advantage.
Pakistan then produced a devastating burst of scoring. Waleed Rana found the net twice in the 39th and 40th minutes, extending the lead to 4-1, before Ali Hamza added another goal in the 41st minute. Pakistan’s five-goal surge came in just nine minutes and effectively put the contest beyond Malaysia’s reach.
Malaysia managed a late response when Gunaseelan Dheeresh scored in the 54th minute, but Pakistan held firm during the closing stages to secure a convincing victory.
Waleed Rana ended the match with two goals, while Ali Hamza was named Player of the Match for his contribution. The result marked Pakistan’s third win of the tournament. The side remains unbeaten and will complete its pool-stage campaign against Bangladesh on Wednesday before shifting focus to the semi-finals.
In the Women’s Junior Asia Cup, also underway in China, Pakistan’s junior women’s hockey team booked their place in the quarter-finals after playing out a 1-1 draw against Kazakhstan in their final pool game.
The result rounds off a mixed but ultimately successful Challenger Pool campaign for Pakistan, who earlier secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Chinese Taipei.
Pakistan will now face either China or India in the quarter-finals as they look to build on their progress in the tournament.
