Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin ReportSalalah (Oman):-Pakistan junior hockey team thrashed Thailand 9-0 in their second match on Wednesday in Salalah, Oman.The first goal was scored by Abdul Hanan Shahid in the last minute of the first quarter, and the second goal was made in the 19th minute. Abdul Rahman scored the third goal in the 30th minute. Abdul Wahab, Abdul Rahman scored the fourth goal in the 41st minute through a penalty corner, Abdul Rahman scored the fifth goal in the 46th minute, and the sixth goal in the 48th minute. The 8th goal was scored by Arbaaz Ahmed in the 53rd minute. The 9th goal was scored by Murtaza Yaqub in the 54th minute. The player of the match was declared Abdul Rahman scoring 5 goals.Pakistan will play their third match against traditional rivals India on May 27 and against Japan on May 29.

Mohammad Sufyan Khan and Abdul Hanan Shahid score hat tricks for PakistanSports Bulletin ReportSalalah (Oman):-Pakistan outclassed Chinese Taipei 15-1 in their first match of the ongoing Juniors Asia Hockey Cup 2023 in Salalah, Oman on Tuesday. Mohammad Sufyan Khan and Abdul Hanan Shahid scored hat tricks.The first goal from Pakistan was scored by Mohammad Sufyan Khan through a penalty corner in the second minute, the second goal by Arbaz Ahmed also through a penalty corner in the 7th minute, the third goal was scored in the 18th minute by Mohammad Sufyan Khan scored again through a penalty corner.Bilal Akram made the scoreboard 4-0 by pushing the ball in the goalpost in the 26th minute, Abdul Qayyum scored the fifth field goal in the last 30th minute of the first half while Abdul Rehman scored the sixth field goal in the 35th minute, and Abdul Rehman scored the 7th goal in the 39th minute.Arbaaz Ahmed through penalty corner, 8th goal in 40th minute by Basharat Ali through penalty corner, 9th goal in 42nd minute by penalty corner by Mohammad Sufyan Khan, 10th field goal by Abdul Hanan Shahid in 44th minute, 11th field Zakaria Hayat scored the goal in the 45th minute, Abdul Hanan Shahid scored the 12th field goal in the 46th minute, Arshad Liaquat scored the 13th field goal in the 48th minute, Murtaza Yaqoob scored the 14th goal through a penalty stroke, Abdul Hanan Shahid scored the 15th field goal in the 59th minute while making a hat trick.Te Julien scored the solitary goal for Chinese Thai Pay in the 49th minute. Pakistan's Mohammad Sufian Khan was declared the man of the match. Pakistan will play their second match against Thailand on May 24, their third match against traditional rivals India on May 27, and Japan on May 29.

All semifinalists to secure their berths in Men’s Junior World CupSports Bulletin ReportSalalah (Oman):-The Men's Junior Asia Cup 2023 will roll into action from May 23, as the best young Asian men’s hockey teams will compete in Salalah, Oman. The top three will qualify for the forthcoming FIH Junior Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023, to be played in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.As many as, the participating nations have been divided into two pools, as Pool A will be comprising Chinese Taipei, India, Japan, Pakistan, and Thailand. Pool B includes hosts Oman, who will be joined by Bangladesh, Korea, Malaysia, and Uzbekistan.The top two teams in both pools will qualify for the semi-finals, while the teams in third and fourth positions will compete for the 5-8 place classification. The teams finishing in fifth place in both pools will go head-to-head to avoid finishing in tenth place.The losing semi-finalists will play in the bronze medal match, with the two finalists and the bronze medalists qualifying for the FIH Junior Hockey World Cup 2023. Malaysia, as hosts, have already qualified for the World Cup, so if Malaysia enter the semifinals of the Junior Asia Cup, all the other three teams making it to the semi-finals will gain entry into the World Cup as well. The FIH Junior Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 will be played in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 5-16 December 2023. Malaysia have qualified as the hosts of the competition. Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands and Spain have qualified from Europe as the teams that were classified in the top-5 at the Euro-Hockey Junior Championship 2022. Australia and New Zealand have also qualified through the Oceania Junior World Cup Qualifiers 2022. South Africa and Egypt are the qualifiers from Africa finishing as the top two teams at the Junior Africa Cup 2023. Argentina, Canada and Chile are the three qualifiers from Pan America. The three top teams from Asia will complete the full set of sixteen teams that will compete for the title at the FIH Junior Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023. 

Sports Bulletin ReportLausanne (Switzerland):-A new Test series between the Australian and Indian women's teams will get underway on 18 May in Adelaide, Australia.The series will see the current FIH Hockey Pro League leaders Australia, take on the winners of the inaugural FIH Hockey Nations Cup India, in a three-match series. The two teams have developed a rivalry over the recent years, with their most recent match-up coming in the semi-finals of the Commonwealth Games 2022, which required a shoot-out to separate the two sides.With both young teams stringing together an impressive run of form over the past year, the series promises to be a tightly contested affair, with each side providing a litmus test for the progress made by the other. 

 Selection Committee names 18-man squad, Mohammad Abdullah to lead Green ShirtsAbdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: Pakistan Under-18 hockey team will take on archrival India on May 27 in the Junior Asia Hockey Cup 2023, which will be played from May 23 to June 1 in Salalah, Oman, as the Selection Committee named the Pakistan squad led by Mohammad Abdullah.Besides Pakistan, India, Japan, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, Korea, Malaysia, Oman, Bangladesh, and Uzbekistan will participate in the regional hockey fixture, as Pakistan will meet traditional opponents India on May 27, 2023.The training camp of 28 players was going on at DHA Hockey Arena under the control of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), after the two-day trials, which were monitored by Chairman Selection Committee Olympian Kaleemullah Khan, Members Olympian Nasir Ali, Olympian Shakeel Abbasi, Laeeq Lashari. Also, International Adnan Zakar, Olympian Zeeshan Ashraf, Assistant Coach Asif Ahmed Khan, Team Video Analyst Syed Ali Abbas and Physiotherapist Waqas Mahmood were present in the coaching panel, Junior Team Manager and Chief Coach Olympian Hanif Khan were present on this occasion.Names of selected players:Mohammad Abdullah (captain), Abdul Hanan Shahid (vice-captain), Ali Raza, Mohammad Faizan Janjua, Aqeel Ahmed, Arbaaz Ahmed, Ehtsham Aslam, Mohammad Sufyan Khan, Arbaz Ayaz, Mohammad Murtaza Yaqub, Arshad Liaquat, Ali Murtaza, Zakaria Hayat, Abdul Rehman, Abdul Qayyum. Dogar, Abdul Wahab, Basharat Ali, Bilal AkramReserves:Bilal Khan (goalkeeper), Mohammad Bilal Aslam, Mohammad Baqir, Mohammad Nadeem Khan, Mohammad Adnan, Waqar AliPool A:Pakistan, India, Japan, Chinese Taipei, ThailandPool B:Korea, Malaysia, Oman, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan. Schedule of Pakistan Fixtures:May 23, 2023: Pakistan vs Chinese TaipeiMay 24, 2023: Pakistan vs ThailandMay 27, 2023: Pakistan vs IndiaMay 29, 2023: Pakistan vs Japan

Sports Bulletin ReportLausanne (Switzerland): The best young Pan American hockey teams, in both men’s and women’s category, competed in the Junior Pan American Championships at Bridgetown, Barbados with three spots, in each gender, up for grabs in the upcoming FIH Junior World Cups 2023. In the women’s competition, USA were crowned champions winning the finals against Argentina, with Chile winning bronze. In the men’s competition reigning junior World Champions Argentina were dominant throughout, scoring 31 goals in 4 games and winning the finals 6-1 against Canada, with Chile finishing in third.In the group stage of the women’s tournament Argentina and Chile were table toppers in Pool A and B respectively. Chile made the biggest splash winning their three games by a cumulative margin of 31 goals. USA finished second in Pool A with their only loss coming in a closely contested game against Argentina, while Canada finished second in Pool B with 2 wins and a solitary loss to Chile. Argentina edged past Canada through a 1-0 win in the semi-finals, while USA needed shoot-outs to stop the Chilean juggernaut and proceed to the finals. The finals were once again a close affair but USA showed their supremacy in the shoot-outs, getting the better of Argentina by a 4-1 margin, after the teams had ended the regulation period tied at 1-1. USA, Argentina and Canada have joined hosts Chile in qualifying for the FIH Junior Women’s World Cup 2023, which is to be held in Santiago, Chile later this year.Tracy Paul, head coach of the victorious USA team, speaking on her team’s success said: "We are really happy to qualified to the Junior World Cup 2023, this is another opportunity for our team to perform at a major tournament, international tournament as they work themselves through the high performance pathway."In the group stage of the men’s tournament Argentina topped Pool A while Canada topped Pool B with both teams winning all their matches with ease. Chile in Pool A and USA in Pool B finished in second place with their sole losses coming to Argentina and Canada respectively. Argentina dispatched USA in the semi-finals with a 7-0 win, while the second semi-final between Canada and Chile was a tense affair requiring shoot-outs where Canada prevailed. Argentina showed their dominance in the tournament once again by registering a massive 6-1 win in the finals to win gold. Chile defeated USA in the bronze medal match to book their spot in the FIH Junior Hockey Men’s World Cup, which is to be played later this year in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Juan Gilardi, coach of the Argentina team, speaking after his team’s title victory, said: "We came here with 2 objectives, and we got them. We are really proud of the team. We are exited to be part of the World Cup, we have a long way to go, we are really looking forward to it."

Sports Bulletin Report Lausanne (Switzerland): The Pan American hockey teams, in both men’s and women’s category, will compete from April 10 to 18 in the 2023 Junior Pan American Championships at Bridgetown, Barbados with three spots, in each gender, up for grabs in the upcoming FIH Junior World Cups 2023. Argentina, Canada, Chile, Guyana and USA will join hosts Barbados in both men’s and women’s tournaments, with Brazil (men) and Uruguay (women) rounding out the competing teams, with 7 sides playing in both tournaments. The men’s competition will get underway on the morning of 10 April with Argentina taking on Brazil, while the women’s competition will get underway on the same afternoon with Argentina taking on Uruguay in the opening encounter. The teams will be split into two pools, with Pool A comprising 3 teams and Pool B comprising 4 teams. In the men’s competition the Argentina, Brazil and Chile will play in Pool A, while Barbados, Canada, Guyana and USA are placed in Pool B. In the women’s competition Argentina, Uruguay and USA are placed in Pool A, while Barbados, Canada, Chile and Guyana will compete in Pool B. Each team in the pool stage will play the other teams in the pool once. The top two teams in both pools will qualify for the semi-finals, while the team in third position in Pool A will play the team in fourth position of Pool B, with the losing team ending their tournament in the seventh place, while the winner will play the third placed team in pool B in a fifth/sixth place playoff. The losing semi-finalists will play in the bronze medal match. The two finalists and the bronze medalists in each gender will qualify for the corresponding FIH Junior Hockey World Cup 2023. The finals in the men’s tournament will be played on 17 April in the afternoon, while the women’s final will be played at the same time on the afternoon of 18 April. The FIH Junior Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 will be played in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 5-16 December 2023. Malaysia have qualified as the hosts of the competition. Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands and Spain have qualified from Europe as the teams that were classified in the top-5 at the EuroHockey Junior Championship 2022. Australia and New Zealand have also qualified through the Oceania Junior World Cup Qualifiers 2022. South Africa and Egypt are the qualifiers from Africa finishing as the top two teams at the Junior Africa Cup 2023. Apart from the three qualifiers from Pan America, three more teams from Asia will qualify for the World Cup through the Junior Asia Cup 2023 which will be played later in the year. The FIH Junior Hockey Women’s World Cup 2023 will be played in Santiago, Chile. The new dates for the World Cup have been released and the event will now run from 29 November to 10th December 2023. Chile have qualified as the hosts of the competition. Belgium, England, Germany, Netherlands and Spain have qualified from Europe as the teams that were classified in the top-5 at the EuroHockey Junior Championship 2022. Australia and New Zealand have also qualified through the Oceania Junior World Cup Qualifiers 2022. South Africa and Zimbabwe are the qualifiers from Africa finishing as the top two teams at the Junior Africa Cup 2023. Apart from the three qualifiers from Pan America, three more teams from Asia will qualify for the World Cup through the Junior Asia Cup 2023 which will be played later in the year.

Sports Bulletin Report Pretoria (South Africa): After 80 matches and seven days of rousing action, Austria’s men successfully defended their world title while the Netherlands regained the women’s crown as the FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup came to a gripping end in Pretoria, South Africa. Michael Körper got the defending champions off to a great start in the men’s final, putting his side ahead in the ninth minute. Less than a minute later the Dutch struck back, Max Sweering slotting one in off a penalty stroke for the equaliser just before the first break. But it didn’t take long for the Austrians to regain their lead, Körper once again adding his name to the scoresheet with a magnificent, lifted effort. The Dutch once again came back at them though, to level matters before halftime. The Netherlands then led twice in the second half, but the prolific Körper completed his hattrick to once again draw level at 4-4, sending the title decider to a shootout, which the Austrians edged 3-2 for a memorable victory. https://sports-bulletin.com/single?id=4548 While the Austrian men were crowned world champions for a second time, the women were seeking a first-ever world title when they also took on the Netherlands in their final. But the Dutch were in rampant mood in what turned into a completely one-sided match. Mabel Brands scored a hattrick as the Dutch romped to a third world title with a 7-0 victory. With that, they also climbed to the top spot in the world rankings while Austria moved up from seventh to fourth. In a first for a Hockey World Cup, both the men’s and women’s finals featured one male and one female umpire in each. Meanwhile, the women’s third-place playoff saw hosts South Africa taking on the Czech Republic. Having dropped from third at the 2015 World Cup to seventh in 2018, the Czechs were determined to make a return to the podium and they put in the ideal performance to do just that. Adela Lehovcova scored a brace and Anna Kolarova added another before the home side could breach the Austrian defence. Tegan Fourie’s consolation goal in the 26th minute was not enough to prevent the 1-3 loss for the South Africans, who nevertheless achieved their highest-ever World Cup finish with fourth place. Their unprecedented progress also saw them climbing up the world rankings from 12th place to sixth. The men’s bronze medal match between Iran and the USA produced another fast-paced showdown which included several spectacular goals. It was all square on 4-4 by the final hooter after Aki Kaeppeler found the final equaliser in the 37th minute. Results (men’s event): New Zealand 2 – 7 Australia Player of the match: Ben Staines (AUS) Austria 8 – 3 Iran Player of the match: Fabian Unterkircher (AUT) Netherlands 7 – 3 USA Player of the match: Nicki Leijs Kazakhstan 2 – 5 Czech Republic Player of the match: Lukas Plochy (CZE) Iran 4 (3) – 4 (2) USA Player of the match: Reza Norouzzadeh (IRI) Austria 4 (3) – 4 (2) Netherlands Player of the match: Michael Körper (AUT) Results (women’s event): Austria 1 – 0 Czech Republic Player of the match: Marianne Pulter (AUT) Netherlands 6 – 1 South Africa Player of the match: Lieke van Wijk (NED) South Africa 1 – 3 Czech Republic Player of the match: Barbora Cechakova (CZE) Netherlands 7 – 0 Austria Player of the match: Mabel Brands (NED) Final tournament standings (Women): Netherlands, 2. Austria, 3. Czech Republic, 4. South Africa, 5. Belgium, 6. Ukraine, 7. Australia, 8. Canada, 9. USA, 10. Kazakhstan, 11. New Zealand, 12. Namibia   Men’s Teams standings: Austria, 2. Netherlands, 3. Iran, 4. USA, 5. Belgium, 6. South Africa, 7. Argentina, 8. Namibia, 9. Czech Republic, 10. Kazakhstan, 11. Australia, 12. New Zealand Individual Awards (women) Best Player: Donja Zwinkels (NED) Hero Top Scorer: Donja Zwinkels (NED) Best Goalkeeper: Barbora Cechakova (CZE) Best Junior Player: Reese D'ariano (USA) Individual Awards (Men) Best Player: Fabian Unterkircher (AUT) Hero Top Scorer: Michael Körper (AUT) Best Goalkeeper: Mateusz Szymczyk (AUT) Best Junior Player: Mustaphaa Cassiem (RSA)

Sports Bulletin Report Pretoria (South Africa): History was made by the USA men and South African women as they secured their first-ever semifinal spots at the FIH Hockey World Cup in Pretoria, South Africa. After a thrilling day of quarterfinal clashes, the final four places were determined with defending champions Austria up against Iran while the Netherlands will take on the USA for a spot in the men’s final. 2018 bronze medallists Iran earned their semifinal spot in dramatic fashion, coming from 0-3 down in the third quarter to beat eighth-ranked Belgium in a shootout. The Iranians managed to level the scores at 5-5 in the 37th minute and it then took an incredible 18 shots to decide the winners in the subsequent shootout. Austria were next to secure their safe passage through to the final four with a 2-0 victory over Argentina, but it wasn’t until well into the third quarter that they first found the back of the net. Meanwhile, both the USA and Namibia were looking to extend their history-making runs at the World Cup – with the quarterfinals being unchartered territory for both teams. It was the Americans who had the edge. Namibia scored in the final minute of the match, but it was not enough to prevent a 3-2 win for the USA. The Dutch were in rampant mood against hosts South Africa in the last men’s quarterfinal. The 2015 world champions racked up a 5-0 lead by half time. The home side suddenly came alive in the final quarter, scoring three goals of their own. But when the Dutch added another one to their own tally, the fightback fizzled out. In the women’s tournament, the Czech Republic were the first side to book their place in the semifinals with a comprehensive 6-0 victory over Australia. Both Belgium and South Africa were seeking their first-ever appearances in the FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup semifinals when they met in the third women’s quarterfinal of the day. It was the host nation who benefited from the backing of a fervent home crowd to produce their best World Cup result to date. A goal from South African captain Jess O’Connor off a penalty corner edged her side in front and Tegan Fourie doubled their lead just before halftime. But the Belgians came back through a final-quarter goal, and they were a nervous final few minutes until the 2-1 home win was secured. In the final matchup of the day, it took 15 minutes for the Netherlands to breach the Canadian defence. But two hattricks, from Lieke van Wijk and Donja Zwinkels, steered the two-time world champions to a resounding 6-1 victory. The Dutch will take on South Africa in Saturday’s semifinals while Austria will play the Czech Republic. Results (Men’s Event): Iran 5 (6) – 5 (5) Belgium Player of the match: Reza Norouzzadeh (IRI) Umpires: Ayden Shrives (RSA), Adam Barry (AUS) Austria 2 – 0 Argentina Player of the match: Michael Körper (AUT) Umpires: Sean Edwards (ENG), Rachel Williams (ENG) USA 3 – 2 Namibia Player of the match: Aki Kaeppeler (USA) Umpires: Lee Barron (ENG), Diego Barbas (ARG) Netherlands 6 – 3 South Africa Player of the match: Boris Burkhardt (NED) Umpires: Andres Ortiz (ESP), Sophie Bockelmann (GER) Results (Women’s Event): New Zealand 4 – 3 Namibia Player of the match: Kirsten Pearce (NZL) Umpires: Ornpimol Kittiteerasopon (THA), Cathy Wright (WAL) USA 5 – 1 Kazakhstan Player of the match: Hannah Miller (USA) Umpires: Narongtuch Subboonsong (THA), Lyndal Robertson (RSA) Czech Republic 6 – 0 Australia Player of the match: Katerina Lacina (CZE) Umpires: Cathy Wright (WAL), Lukasz Zwierzchowski (POL) Austria 3 – 1 Ukraine Player of the match: Stella van Rahden (AUT) Umpires: Melina Illanes (ARG), Celine Martin-Schmets (BEL) Belgium 1 – 2 South Africa Player of the match: Tegan Fourie (RSA) Umpires: Emily Carroll (AUS), Lukasz Zwierzchowski (POL) Netherlands 6 – 1 Canada Player of the match: Lieke van Wijk (NED) Umpires: Ayden Shrives (RSA), Lyndal Robertson (RSA)

Sports Bulletin Report Pretoria (South Africa): The quarterfinal lineup was completed after several scintillating performances on the final day of pool matches at the FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup in Pretoria, South Africa. The men’s Pool B clash between the Czech Republic and Iran produced a 16-goal thriller. The Czechs led 6-3 by the 25th minute but the feisty Iranians came back at them. Just like they had done against South Africa the day before, a final-minute goal clinched a dramatic, last-gasp draw for Iran. The 8-8 draw was enough to see the Iranians through to the quarterfinals, but there was disappointment for the fourth-ranked Czech Republic who are now left to fight it out for the minor places. The other Pool B battle, between South Africa and Argentina, was another entertaining, high-scoring affair, which saw the hosts snatching a 5-4 win with another Mustapha Cassiem goal in the final minute. Despite the loss, Argentina are also through to the quarterfinals thanks to their earlier victories over Iran and Australia. In the other men’s pool it was Namibia who booked the final top-four spot despite a 4-4 draw with New Zealand. Austria, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic had already secured their quarterfinal places before the final pool matches of the women’s tournament but the other spots were yet to be determined. There was double joy for the home crowd when the South African women claimed their second victory of the tournament, beating New Zealand 6-3 to qualify for the top eight. Australia went down 2-4 to Austria in their final pool match, but still progressed thanks to their earlier victories against the USA and New Zealand. In Pool B, it was Belgium, Ukraine and Canada who joined the already-qualified Czech Republic in the quarterfinals. Belgium defeated Canada 1-0 thanks to a third-quarter goal from Claire Barry, and the Canadians then faced an anxious wait for the outcome of the final pool clash between Ukraine and Kazakhstan to discover whether they’d done enough to progress. That match ended in a 3-3 draw, with one point not enough to see the Kazakhs through ahead of Canada. Friday’s men’s quarterfinal clashes will see Belgium facing Iran while defending world champions Austria are up against Argentina, the USA take on Namibia, and the Netherlands play South Africa. In the women’s tournament, the Czech Republic face Australia, Austria take on Ukraine, Belgium play South Africa and the Netherlands are up against Canada in a bid to reach Saturday’s semifinals. Results (Men’s Event): South Africa 6 – 5 Argentina Player of the match: Chad Futcher (RSA) Umpires: Adam Barry (AUS), Sean Edwards (ENG) USA 4 – 2 Australia Player of the match: Stuart Kentwell (USA) Umpires: Lee Barron (ENG), Ayden Shrives (RSA) Czech Republic 8 – 8 Iran Player of the match: Tomas Prochazka (CZE) Umpires: Diego Barbas (ARG), Rachel Williams (ENG) Belgium 1 – 7 Netherlands Player of the match: Boris Burkhardt (NED) Umpires: Lee Barron (ENG), Adam Barry (AUS) Austria 9 – 2 Kazakhstan Player of the match: Michael Körper (AUT) Umpires: Sophie Bockelmann (GER), Lukasz Zwierzchowski (POL) Namibia 4 – 4 New Zealand Player of the match: Liam Hermanus (NAM) Umpires: Diego Barbas (ARG), Celine Martin-Schmets (BEL) Results (Women’s Event): Netherlands 3 – 2 USA Player of the match: Elizabeth Tamburro (USA) Umpires: Ornpimol Kittiteerasopon (THA), Cathy Wright (WAL) South Africa 6 – 3 New Zealand Player of the match: Daniela de Oliveira (RSA) Umpires: Sophie Bockelmann (GER), Rachel Williams (ENG Australia 2 – 4 Austria Player of the match: Katharina Bauer (AUT) Umpires: Lyndal Robertson (RSA), Cathy Wright (WAL) Belgium 1 – 0 Canada Player of the match: Claire Barry (BEL) Umpires: Lukasz Zwierzchowski (POL), Ornpimol Kittiteerasopon (THA) Namibia 0 – 6 Czech Republic Player of the match: Anna Vorlova (CZE) Umpires: Lyndal Robertson (RSA), Sean Edwards (ENG) Ukraine 3 – 3 Kazakhstan Player of the match: Karyna Leonova (UKR) Umpires: Ayden Shrives (RSA), Celine Martin-Schmets (BEL)