Sports Bulletin

Arshad Liaqat, Sufian Khan, and Arbaz Ahmed star, square match 3-3Sports Bulletin ReportKuala Lumpur (Malaysia): Green Shirts halted heavyweights Netherlands from overcoming Pakistan after a nerve-jangling contest in the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2023 at Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia on Wednesday morning. The match ended 3-3 draw after four quarters.Pakistan young lads produced a remarkable and sparking performance, as the three players Arshad Liaqat, Sufian Khan, and Arbaz Ahmed scored one goal each for Pakistan at crucial stages. The Dutch team managed to score a field goals in the 21st and 30th minutes, leaving Pakistan trailing by two goals at the end of the first half. Pakistan fought back courageously in the third quarter, with midfielder Arshad Liaqat scoring a field goal, narrowing the deficit.The turning point came in the 36th minute of the third quarter when Pakistan earned a penalty corner. Sufian Khan exhibited exceptional skills, slamming a drag-flick into the goalpost, leveling the score to 2-2. The Netherlands responded with a field goal in the 47th minute, once again taking the lead. However, Pakistan's Arbaz Ahmed swiftly equalized with a penalty corner, bringing the score to an intense 3-3.The match continued with both teams displaying remarkable skill and determination, but neither side could break the deadlock before the final whistle. The thrilling encounter ended in a 3-3 draw, showcasing the competitive spirit of the Junior World Hockey Cup.The Junior World Hockey Cup features 16 teams from around the world, including Pakistan in Pool D alongside the Netherlands, Belgium, and New Zealand. As the tournament progresses, fans can expect more exhilarating matches as teams vie for supremacy on the international stage.

France, Germany, Spain, Argentine, India and Malaysia claim victoriesSports Bulletin ReportKuala Lumpur (Malaysia): Besides defending champions Argentine, France, Germany, Spain, India and hosts Malaysia posted triumphs on the opening day of the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2023, which rolled into action at Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.France beat Egypt (3-1): France claimed a comfortable 3-1 victory over Egypt in their tournament opener against Egypt. Morcrette Arthur opened the scoring for the French after 21 minutes, tapping in a reverse stick cross after it deflected off an Egyptian stick.Clément Mathis then extended their lead with an incredible piece of reactive skill, controlling a lifted save with two aerial touches to tap back in through the keeper’s legs. Denis Gaspard completed the scoring for France off a short corner in the 38th minute, slapping in from close range as the ball bounced off the post-man’s foot. Egypt managed to pull one back in the 49th minute.Germany beat South Africa (5-3): Germany, got their Junior World Cup campaign off to a solid start with a 5-3 victory over South Africa. Paul Gander opened the scoring for the Germans after just five minutes, his wide drag flick deflecting in off a defender’s stick. Ben Hansbach then drew all the defenders in front of goal before executing a delicate reverse flip for Florian Sperling to tap in at the left post. David Tshebi opened South Africa’s account in the 24th minute by beating the keeper through his legs from an acute angle, but Liam Holdermann struck back immediately to give Germany a 3-1 lead at half time.South African scored first in the second half, Jaydon Brooker rocketing his drag flick in off the first wave’s stick. Germany answered off a penalty stroke, Matteo Poljaric accurate into the top left corner. Hans Neethling got one back for South Africa with seven minutes to play, and they pulled their keeper off to have a full go. Ben Hansbach closed the match out for Germany in the 59th minute, however, easily tapping into the vacant South African goal.Spain beat Canada (7-0): Spain got their tournament underway with a convincing 7-0 win over Canada. Nicolas Alvarez was on target in the second minute, an attacking pass into the circle being deflected twice by his teammates before he smashed it in from close range. Pol Cabre Verdiell added a penalty stroke, and Andreas Rafi powered a knee-high drag flick through the post-man’s stick to give Spain a 3-0 lead at half time.Oriol Bozal scored with two drag flicks late in the third quarter, the first to the keeper’s left, the second to his right. Xavier Barutell then ran a great support line to score a beautifully worked field goal, and Bruno Font cleaned up the scraps of a goalmouth scramble to close out the scoring.Argentina beat Australia (1-0): Defending champions outplayed Australia 1-0 in their opening clash, as both goalkeepers made vital saves to keep the scores locked at 0-0 for most of the encounter. Australia applied intense pressure through two periods of play in the third quarter when Argentina had players yellow carded, but they just couldn’t find the back of the net.It was as Australia were waiting for their own yellow-carded player to return to the pitch on 58 minutes that Argentina finally broke the deadlock, patiently working the ball into an attacking position before Tomas Ruiz fired it into the circle from 25m out.India beat Korea (4-2): Former world junior champions India earned their first points of the tournament with a 4-2 victory over Korea in their opener. The Indian side took the lead off a penalty corner in the 11th minute, Araijeet Singh Hundal laying the ball back after the initial save before receiving it again and pushing it under the keeper. He slapped in a second after a good baseline run by Boby Singh Dhami, and Amandeep added a field goal to give India a 3-0 lead at half time.Malaysia beat Chile (7-1): Hosts Malaysia started the tournament with an emphatic 7-1 win over the lowest-ranked side in the competition, Chile. Osman Harris hosts’ account by tapping in at the left post after a scrappy penalty corner, and Danish Aiman Mohammad added a field goal for Malaysia to lead 2-0 at half time.There was a flood of goals in the second half, however. Sebastián Wolansky scored early off a drag flick for Chile but that would be the only time they found the back of the net. Malaysia responded through Andywalfian Jeffrynus off a botched penalty corner, and again through Azmilmuizzuddin Misron who was quickest to react at the keeper's feet after he saved the drag flick. Shamir Shamsul slid in for a deflection from open play, and Shahmie Irfan Suhaimi bagged first a penalty corner and then a penalty stroke to complete the scoring.

Chief selector Mohammad Asif Bajwa unfolds the names of playersPakistan to face Netherlands on December 6 in their opening fixtureAbdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: The National Selection Committee (NSC) Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) headed by Mohammad Asif Bajwa named an 18-man national hockey junior team, which will take part in the forthcoming FIH Junior Hockey World Cup 2023, starting from December 5 at Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. As many as 16 teams worldwide will fight for top honour during the 12-day international prestigious hockey showpiece, as Argentine will defend their title.On Wednesday, Mohammad Asif Bajwa flanked by member of the NSC Olympian Anjum Saeed, Manager Asif Naz Khokhar, and Head Coach Roelant Oltamans, announced the squad after the approval President PHF, Khalid Sajjad Khokhar.It is pertinent to mention here that Green Shirts won only one time Junior Hockey World Cup title in 1979 after defeating West Germany in the final. In 1993, Pakistan had claimed the silver medal while three times Pakistan got third position in 1982, 1985, and 1989. Pakistan could not stand on victory podium for 30 years. Team Officials: Asif Naz Khokhar (Manager), Roelant Oltamans (Head Coach), Olympian Shakeel Abbasi, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Asif (Coaches), Mohammad Aslam (Physiotherapist) Nadeem Lodhi (Video Analyst)Names of players: Ali Raza, Abdul Rafay Sajid, Arbaaz Ahmed, Mohammad Sufyan Khan, Ehtsham Aslam, Aqeel Ahmed, Abdul Manan, Mohammad Murtaza Yaqub, Zikaria Hayat, Mohammad Hayat, Ghazanfar Ali, Ali Murtaza, Arshad Liaquat, Abdul Hanan Shahid, Abdul Rehman , Umar Mustafa, Abuzar, Abdul QayyumReserve players: Basharat Ali and Arbaaz AyazTeams (16):Pool A: Argentina, Australia, Chile, MalaysiaPool B: Egypt, France, Germany, South AfricaPool C: Canada, India, Korea, SpainPool D: Belgium, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan 

Green Shirts to participate in World Junior Men’s Hockey Cup next month in MalaysiaAbdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has invited 30 players for training camp, which will get underway on November 13 at National Hockey Stadium Lahore, as the final selected team will take part in the World Junior Men’s Hockey Cup, which will be held in Malaysia next month December 5 to 16, 2023.According to an official of the PHF, all officials, and players are directed to report to Camp Commandant Lt. Col (Retd) Mohammad Asif Naz Khokhar at National Hockey Stadium, Lahore on 13th November 2023 at 1600 hours.Names of invited players:Goalkeepers: Ali Raza (Punjab), Abdul Rafay Sajid (Sindh), Mohammad Faizan Janjua (Customs)Defenders: Arbaz Ahmad (MPCL), Mohammad Sufyan Khan (MPCL), Ahtisham Aslam (MPCL), Aqeel Ahmed (WAPDA), Mohammad Abdullah (MPCL), Sami Ullah (Customs), Abdul Manan (Customs), Arbaz Ayaz (Sindh)Midfielders: Mohammad Murtaza Yaqoob (WAPDA), Zikriya Hayat (Navy), Mohammad Ammad (Customs), Ghazanfar Ali (Customs), Ali Murtaza (Customs), Abuzar (Customs), Abdul Wahab (Sindh)Forwards: Arshad Liaqat (MPCL), Abdul Hannan Shahid (WAPDA), Hamza Fayyaz (Customs), Abdul Rehman (WAPDA), Basharat Ali (Navy), Abdul Qayyum (Customs), Mohammad Arsalan (Punjab), Rana Waleed (Navy), Saad Shafique (Punjab), Sikandar Ali Zakir (Islamabad), Mohammad Tauha Sheroz (Punjab), Amir Sohail (Punjab), Mohammad Ghufran (Punjab)Names of Officials:Lt. Col (Retd) Mohammad Asif Naz Khokhar (Manager), Roelant Oltmans (Coach), International Asif Ahmed Khan (Assistant Coach), International Mohammad Ali Khan (Assistant Coach), Olympian Shakeel Abbasi (Assistant Coach), International Yasir Islam (Assistant Coach), International Syed Kashif Shah (Assistant Coach), International Imran Butt (Goalkeeper Coach), International Amjad Ali (Goalkeeper Coach), Mohammad Nadeem Khan Lodhi (Video Analyst) 

Arbad Ahmed scores 2 goals, skipper Abdul Hanan Shahid one goal for Green ShirtsSports Bulletin ReportJohor Bahru (Malaysia): Pakistan played 3-3 darw against arch-rival and defending champions India 3-2 in their opening match of the Sultan Johor Hockey Cup 2023, which commenced at Taman Daya Hockey Stadium in Johor Bahru, Malaysia on Friday. Arbad Ahmed scored 2 goals while and skipper Abdul Hanan Shahid netted ball once for Green Shirts.Besides Pakistan, Australia, India, Germany, Great Britain, Malaysia, New Zealand, and South Africa are participating in the nine-day prestigious hockey showpiece. All eight teams have been divided into two Pools. Australia, Germany, Great Britain, and South Africa are in Pool A while host Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and three times champions India are in Pool B. India will defend the title, as they defeated Australia in the final of 2022.Names of players (21): Ali Raza, Abdul Rafi, Arbaaz Ahmed (Vice-Captain), Mohammad Sufyan Khan, Ehtisham Aslam, Murtaza Yaqub, Arbaaz Ayaz, Zakaria Hayat, Arshad Liaquat, Abuzar, Abdul Wahab, Abdul Qayyum, Abdul Hanan Shahid (Captain), Basharat Ali, Hamza Fayyaz, Abdul Rehman, Ghazanfar Ali, Rana Waleed, Mohammad Arsalan, Mohammad Imad and Faizan Janjua, goalkeeper.The Pakistan Junior Hockey Team will play the second match against New Zealand on October 28 at 3:05 PM, and the third and final pool match against the host team Malaysia on October 31 at 5:34 PM.Schedule:27 October 2023: India vs Pakistan 3-3 Draw27 October 2023: Malaysia vs New Zealand27 October 2023: Australia vs Great Britain28 October 2023: Germany vs South Africa28 October 2023: Pakistan vs New Zealand28 October 2023: Malaysia vs India30 October 2023: South Africa vs Great Britain30 October 2023: Australia vs Germany30 October 2023: India vs New Zealand31 October 2023: Germany vs Great Britain31 October 2023: South Africa vs Australia31 October 2023: Pakistan vs MalaysiaNovember 3, 2023: SemifinalsNovember 4, 2023: final 

Abdul Hanan Shahid to lead Green Shirts, Pakistan to face India on October 27Abdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) on Tuesday unfolded the names of players and officials for the forthcoming international hockey fixture, the Sultan Johor Hockey Cup, which will be played at Taman Daya Hockey Stadium in Johor Bahru, Malaysia from October 27 to November 4, 2023.According to an official of PHF, after the approval of the President PHF Brigadier (Retd) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar, 21 junior players and 7 officials have been announced for the 11th Sultan Johor Hockey Cup 2023. Besides Pakistan, Australia, India, Germany, Great Britain, Malaysia, New Zealand, and South Africa will participate in the nine-day prestigious hockey showpiece.All eight teams have been divided into two Pools. Australia, Germany, Great Britain, and South Africa are in Pool A while host Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and three times champions India are in Pool B. India will defend the title, as they defeated Australia in the final of 2022.Names of players (21): Ali Raza (Punjab), Abdul Rafi (Sindh), Arbaaz Ahmed (Vice-Captain-Mari Petroleum), Mohammad Sufyan Khan (Mari Petroleum), Ehtisham Aslam (Mari Petroleum), Murtaza Yaqub (WAPDA), Arbaaz Ayaz (Sindh), Zakaria Hayat (Navy), Arshad Liaquat (Mari Petroleum), Abuzar (Customs), Abdul Wahab (Sindh), Abdul Qayyum (Customs), Abdul Hanan Shahid (Captain-WAPDA), Basharat Ali (Navy), Hamza Fayyaz (Customs), Abdul Rehman (WAPDA), Ghazanfar Ali (Customs), Rana Waleed (Navy), Mohammad Arsalan (Punjab), Mohammad Imad (Customs) and Faizan Janjua, goalkeeper (Customs).Team Officials: Lt. Col (Retd) Asif Naz Khokhar (manager), Olympian Abdul Hanif Khan (head coach), Roelment Oltamans (consultant), Asif Ahmed Khan (coach), Mohammad Ali (coach), Olympian Shakeel Abbasi (coach), video analyst Nadeem Khan Lodhi (video analyst).Schedule: 27 October 2023: India vs Pakistan27 October 2023: Malaysia vs New Zealand27 October 2023: Australia vs Great Britain28 October 2023: Germany vs South Africa28 October 2023: Pakistan vs New Zealand28 October 2023: Malaysia vs India30 October 2023: South Africa vs Great Britain30 October 2023: Australia vs Germany30 October 2023: India vs New Zealand31 October 2023: Germany vs Great Britain31 October 2023: South Africa vs Australia31 October 2023: Pakistan vs MalaysiaNovember 3, 2023: SemifinalsNovember 4, 2023: final

Sports Bulletin ReportLausanne (Switzerland): Hockey at Asian Games 2023 came to an end today with the Indian men's team and Chinese women's team claiming the gold medals and securing qualification to the Olympic Games Paris 2024! India and Japan faced each other in the men’s final yesterday with India registering a 5-1 win to secure their fourth gold medal in the competition's history, and Olympic qualification. In the women’s competition it was China taking on Korea in the finals. China edged the finals with a 2-0 win and in the process collected their 4th women’s Hockey gold at the Asian Games.Following India’s victory in the men’s competition Japan, China, Korea, Malaysia and Pakistan will now move on to the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers 2024 where they will get a second opportunity to qualify for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.The men’s finals saw Japan do what they do best, maintaining an incredibly compact defensive structure and frustrating the free flowing Indian attack for most of the first half, but India managed to create a breakthrough just before half time, with Manpreet Singh putting them on the board. India scored three quick goals in the second half to snatch all the incentive and while Japan added a goal in the final quarter, India came away comfortable winners through a 5-1 scoreline, securing the gold medal.In the women’s competition, India and Korea finished level on points in Pool A, having won 3 matches each, while playing out a draw in their head-to-head matchup. India finished first thanks to their superior goal difference. In Pool B, Japan won all four of their matches taking the top spot, while China, who lost to Japan despite dominating the encounter, finished second by winning all the remaining pool matches. China dominated India in the first semi-final, winning 4-0 against their higher ranked opponents, thanks to their stellar work in the penalty corners, which gave them 3 of their 4 goals. In the second semi-final Japan and Korea could not be separated in regulation time, ending the game in a 2-2 tie, but it was Korea who held their nerve in the ensuing shoot-out to qualify for the final. In the women’s final, China got on the board early through a goal scored by Yi Chen and carried that lead into the half-time interval, dominating possession and not allowing Korea to sustain a long spell of territorial dominance. The second half followed a similar pattern with China maintaining great discipline, not conceding a single penalty corner through the game and added a late goal via Meirong Zout to seal the win and the gold medal. A total of 12 teams, in each of the men’s and women’s categories, will compete in Hockey at the Olympic Games. Hosts France have gained direct qualification. Australia (men and women) were winners of the Oceania Cup, which sealed their qualification, while Netherlands (men and women) qualified as the European champions. Indian men and Chinese women have now clinched their spots at the Olympics through their gold medal victories at the Asian Games. The winners of each of the remaining 2 continental championships in the Americas and Africa will also gain direct qualification to the upcoming Olympic Games. The FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers 2024, which will be held in January 2024, provide a second opportunity for teams to qualify for the remaining 6 spots at the Olympic Games. 

Sports Bulletin ReportHangzhou (China): India beat Pakistan 10-2 in the pool match of the ongoing Asian Games, as the winners have confirmed their berth in the semifinal. The match between Pakistan and Japan will decide the second semifinalist team of the group, as the match will be played on October 2, 2023.The Indian hockey team, which is ranked third in the world, scored two goals in the first quarter of the game against the Pakistan hockey team, which ranked 15th in the world. In the first 8 minutes of the match, Mandeep Singh secured the initial field goal for India, granting them an early advantage. Subsequently, in the 11th and 17th minutes, Harmanpreet Singh further solidified India's position, finding the net from penalty corners. Sumit added to India's tally with a fourth goal, expertly netted in the 30th minute of play. As the match progressed into the third quarter, Harmanpreet Singh showcased his penalty corner prowess once again, scoring in the 33rd and 34th minutes, affirming India's dominance on the scoreboard. In the 38th minute of the game, Mohammad Sufiyan Khan netted a crucial goal for Pakistan via a penalty corner. Just three minutes later, Varun Kumar of India demonstrated his prowess with a well-executed field goal in the 41st minute. However, Pakistan swiftly retaliated, securing their second goal in the 45th minute through Rana Abdul Waheed via another penalty corner. India continued to battle fiercely, with Shamsher Singh notching their eighth goal in the 46th minute. Lalit Kumar of India showcased his skills with a field goal in the 49th minute, further solidifying India's position. Varun Kumar stepped up once again for India, sealing their victory with a goal through a penalty corner in the 54th minute.

Sports Bulletin ReportLausanne (Switzerland): International Hockey Federation (FIH) on Thursday announced that Oman would host the FIH Olympic Qualifier following the decision to withdraw the hosting of one of the Men’s FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers from Pakistan due to the recent developments in the governance situation of the Pakistan Hockey Federation.The tournament will be held in Muscat from 15 to 21 January 2024. The other three FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers will be played in China (Women’s – 15-21 January 2024) and Spain (Women’s and Men’s – 13-21 January). 6 Women’s and 6 Men’s teams will qualify for Paris 2024 through these FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers, for which the participating teams from Oceania and Europe are already known.Australia and the Netherlands (Women’s and Men’s) have already secured their spot at the Paris 2024 hockey Olympic tournaments by winning the 2023 Oceania Cup and EuroHockey Championships respectively, therefore joining hosts France.The Asian Games - being played currently in Hangzhou, China - as well as the upcoming Pan American Games and African Hockey Road to Paris tournament will determine the remaining teams qualifying directly for next year’s Olympics (3 Women’s and 3 Men’s teams) as well as the teams playing the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers. The Paris 2024 hockey Olympic tournaments will take place from 27 July to 9 August next year.

Ahmed nets an impressive five goals, Waheed and Afraz contribute three goals each  Sports Bulletin ReportHangzhou (China): Pakistan hockey team stunned Uzbekistan by 18-2 in the Pool Match of the ongoing Asian Games 2023 hockey event in Hangzhou, China on Thursday.Pakistan hockey team's formidable form persisted as they clinched a commanding victory over Uzbekistan, triumphing by a resounding eighteen goals to two in their third pool match. Right from the outset, Pakistan established their dominance on the field, relentlessly slotting consecutive goals.Impressively, they have amassed a total of 34 goals across their three pool encounters thus far. Arbaaz Ahmed showcased his scoring prowess by netting an impressive five goals, closely followed by Rana Waheed and Afraz, each contributing three goals. Umar Bhatta and Abdul Rehman exhibited their skill with two goals apiece, while Arshad Liaquat, Ruman Khan, and Sufyan Khan each notched one goal in the remarkable performance against Uzbekistan.In the ongoing Asian Games hockey competition, the Pakistan hockey team remains steadfast in their position at the top of the points table, securing victories in all three of their matches thus far. Trailing closely behind is their formidable rival, India, currently holding the second spot, and Japan in third place, both after two matches.The anticipation for an electrifying encounter is building up as the Pakistan hockey team gears up to clash against their arch-rivals, India, in their upcoming fourth pool match scheduled for September 30 and set to play at 15:45 pm (PST) in the evening.The competition boasts a total of twelve participating teams, segregated into two competitive pools. Pool A comprises teams from India, Japan, Bangladesh, Singapore, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan, while in Pool B, the challenging lineup includes teams from Korea, Malaysia, China, Oman, Thailand, and Indonesia.