Sports Bulletin

Germany, France, India qualify for semifinals: Pakistan to meet Australia on ThursdayAbdul Jabbar FaisalKuala Lumpur (Malaysia): Spain’s 15 minutes game in the 3rd quarter overwhelmed all the efforts and strategies of Pakistan by scoring three goals in a quick succession by Pol Cabre on the 6th and 7th penalty-corner here at National Hockey Stadium Bukit Jalil here on Tuesday in the last quarterfinal of the Men’s Junior Hockey World Cup 2023.Pakistan earned lead 1-0 when skipper Abdul Hanan Shahid netted the ball in the 4th minute of the second quarter, as they maintained their lead in the first half. The third quarter was a nightmare for the Pakistan, as the Spanish players took the full advantage of errors, which were made by Pakistan’s defenders. The final score-line was 4-2.Germany beat Argentina (2-1):Defending champions Argentina went down 1-2 in a thriller against Germany. The Germans had better possession in a goalless first half but it was their keeper, Joshua Nnaji Onyekwue, who had to make an excellent diving save from a blistering Inaki Minadeo drag flick.The Germans were eventually rewarded for their dominance in the third quarter, Hugo von Montgelas turning his marker inside out at the top of the circle and firing home. Soon after, Paul Glander shaped up for a drag flick and slipped it left for Jakob Brilla to rocket home for a two-goal lead. But Argentina refused to lie down and Nnaji Onyekwue was again called on to deny them as the quarter ended. Argentina came alive early in the final quarter, Agustin Bonanno scoring early to set up a nail-biting finish. Argentina created numerous opportunities with a flurry of shots, five penalty corners, and a penalty stroke. They even subbed their keeper off with six minutes to play, but the German defence held firm around Onyekwue.India beat Netherlands (4-3):India came from behind twice in their gutsy 4-3 victory over a dominant Netherlands team. The Dutch had the perfect start, Timo Boers’ fifth-minute drag flick deflecting in high off the first wave’s foot, and Pepijn van der Heijden adding a second with a blistering low drag. That meant India went into the break trailing 0-2.The Indians fought back early in the second half, Araijeet Singh Hundal’s brilliant skills along the baseline setting up Aditya Arjun Lalage for a tap-in. Hundal drew India level a minute later with a penalty stroke, only for Olivier Hortensius to regain the lead for the Dutch with an excellent penalty corner deflection late in the third quarter. India weren’t done yet though, and Sourabh Anand Kushwaha drew them level once more with eight minutes left in the match. Captain Uttam Singh finally put India in front with four minutes remaining, completing a perfect penalty corner deflection from the p-spot. The Dutch immediately substituted their keeper and applied immense pressure, winning seven penalty corners in the last 90 seconds. But India defended these bravely with the keeper only being called on to save one as his runners charged the rest down, leaving the Dutch to rue many missed opportunities.France beat Australia (3-2):France emerged victorious in their 3-2 clash with Australia. There was very little to separate the teams until Noé Jouin’s diving deflection at the right post from a penalty corner in the 17th minute. Gaspard Denis pounced on a loose ball outside the Australian circle four minutes later and was allowed to run unchecked towards goal before popping it over the keeper’s shoulder from close range for a 2-0 lead.The teams traded goals within a minute of each other to end the third quarter, Jouin bagging a carbon copy of his first sliding deflection, and Australia hitting back with a Cooper Burns field goal. Burns converted an excellent penalty corner variation for his second early in the fourth quarter, setting up a tense finish. Australia had three penalty corners in the final 90 seconds but they were denied, first by the runner, then by keeper Marius Clement, and finally by a brave Tassilo Sura on the post.Spain beat Pakistan (4-2):Spain maintained their tournament momentum in an entertaining 4-2 win against Pakistan. The Spaniards were denied an early lead as Ali Raza made a good penalty corner save, and Pakistan then struck through captain Shahid Hannan’s field goal. Abdul Rafay made an excellent save to maintain Pakistan’s lead, and the rest of the half was tightly contested with both defences being tested.Still a goal down, Spain started well in the second half and were rewarded when Pol Cabre Verdiell and Aleix Bozal scored drag flicks within a minute of each other to go ahead. Jan Capellades denied Pakistan an equaliser with a good bit of positional keeping, and Spain immediately broke out for Pablo Espino to finish a good team goal. Sufyan Khan scored a drag flick to bring Pakistan back within one, but Cabre Verdiell responded immediately with another drag flick for the two-goal cushion. There were good scoring opportunities at both ends in the final quarter but neither defence could be breached.

India claim remarkable victory after going down 0-2 at first halfAbdul Jabbar FaisalKuala Lumpur (Malaysia): India thrashed Netherlands 4-3 in the Men’s Juniors Hockey World Cup 2023 and moved into the semifinal here National Hockey Stadium, Bukit Jalil on Tuesday despite of crawling behind 0-2 after first half of the game.It was a nerve-jangling second quarterfinal of the prestigious international hockey fixture. India were not enough good in the first two quarters of the match and they conceded two goals, which was scored on penalty corners. After going down 0-2, they changed their game plane and attacked on the opposite time back-to-back thrice. The final score was 4-3 in the favour of India that confirmed they will play semifinal against Germany, who defeated defending champions Argentina in the first quarterfinal. 

Belgium, South Africa, New Zealand and hosts Malaysia claim winsAbdul Jabbar FaisalKuala Lumpur (Malaysia): Lausanne, Switzerland: Still reeling from dropping out of quarter-final contention, Belgium produced a massive 12-goal win over Canada to ensure they progressed to the playoff for ninth to 12th place at the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup in Kuala Lumpur on Monday.They’ll take on Malaysia in their next match after the hosts claimed a 4-1 victory over Egypt. South Africa recorded a comfortable 5-1 win over Chile to set up a clash with New Zealand, who emerged as 3-2 victors in a closely fought encounter with Korea.Malaysia beat Egypt (4-1):Hosts Malaysia dominated all the statistics in their 4-1 win over Egypt. Harris Osman opened the scoring for Malaysia with a tap-in at the post after a powerful pass from midfield was deflected by two Malaysian players to undo the Egyptian defence. Mohamed Rafaizel produced some high-quality goalkeeping to deny the Egyptians before Harizan Faris fired a straight drag flick home for Malaysia to lead 2-0 at half-time.Malaysia were awarded 14 penalty corners in the second half but Mahmoud Hassan and the Egyptian defence frustrated them with some fine saves. Muhammad Danish Aiman eventually produced a low drag flick to beat the keeper on his right foot, and Che Nur Aqilrullah completed the win with a scrambled goal from open play. There was some consolation for the Egyptians as Abdelmonem Basel rifled in a brilliant goal.Belgium beat Canada (12-0):Belgium romped home 12-0 against Canada with three players completing hat-tricks or better – Max Luyten completing his in the opening 10 minutes. First was a neat tap-in from in front of goal, followed by a diving deflection at the post. His third was an incredible reflex deflection as he was diving towards goal, somehow getting his stick to a ball high above his sliding body. Lucas Balthazar added a drag flick for the Belgians to end the half 4-0 up.Balthazar added two more in the second half – both from penalty corners – while Hugo Labouchere bagged his hat-trick in the space of eight minutes in the third quarter from two accurate drag flicks and a penalty stroke. Labouchere slotted in his fourth off a drag flick in the fourth quarter, Thomas Crols added a field goal and Luyten grabbed his fourth as the Belgians wrapped up the mammoth win.South Africa beat Chile (5-1):South Africa produced a dominant performance in beating Chile 5-1. Hans Neethling picked out a perfectly placed Ditlhakanyane Leruo who fired in from close range for an early score. David Tshebi then found himself on the end of another Neethling feed and teased his shot past the keeper to double the lead by half-time.The South Africans opened the gap even further in the third quarter, Neethling riding a heavy challenge and finding the net for his first, and then getting on the end of the good pass to deflect in for his second. Alexei de Witt pulled one back for the Chileans from a penalty corner, the South African keeper beaten by a big deflection off the first wave’s leg. But Nathan Ansell put in another one for South Africa, the penalty corner injector pouncing on the rebound after Julián Villanueva made a good initial save.New Zealand beat Korea (3-2):New Zealand came from behind for a 2-3 win in a hotly contested match against Korea. The Koreans scored first, JunYeol Lim working beautifully in the circle for a reverse stick goal. Jonty Elms struck back to level the scores at 1-1 just before half-time.James Hickson rounded off some good inter-passing to give the junior Black Sticks the lead for the first time after 37 minutes. But Korea drew level within a minute, Dohyun Lim rifling a penalty corner in low at the keeper’s left foot. New Zealand then reclaimed the lead, Luke Aldred setting Scott Cosslett up with a beautifully executed short corner variation. Korea pulled their keeper off in the dying minutes to chase the game but the Kiwis absorbed the sustained period of pressure to hold on for the win.

Green Shirts lock horns against heavyweight Belgium 1-1 in their last Pool fixtureSports Bulletin ReportKuala Lumpur (Malaysia): Pakistan have confirmed their place at the top-eight stage of the Men’s Juniors Hockey World Cup 2023 after playing 1-1 draw in their last Pool match here at the Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium on Saturday. Pakistan will face Spain on December 12 in the quarterfinals at the same venue. Arbaaz Ahmed scored a goal through a penalty corner in the 42nd minute, while Jack scored a goal on behalf of Belgium in the third minute of the match. On this occasion, the team is accompanied by Manager Lt. Col. R. Asif Naz Khokhar, Head Coach Revelant Altmans, Olympian Shakeel Abbasi, International Mohammad Ali, International Mohammad Asif Khan, Physiotherapist Mohammad Aslam and Video Analyst Nadeem Lodhi are present in the coaching panel.​ 

Sports Bulletin ReportKuala Lumper (Malaysia): Defending champions Argentina, France, Germany, and Australia earned considerable triumphs in the ongoing Men’s Junior Hockey World Cup 2023 after thrashing their respective opponents here at the Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium on Friday.France beat South Africa (5-4):The most action packed game of the day saw nine goals scored in the first half as France beat South Africa 5-4. With the starting buzzer still ringing in South African ears, France netted two field goals in the first four minutes. The game then found some relative calm, before South Africa sparked it into frantic life yet again with a field goal reply in the 14th minute. France then converted a penalty corner a minute later to put themselves 3-1 up, before South Africa scored their own penalty corner within the same minute. With the score at 3-2 going into the second quarter, punches did not stop being thrown by either side. South Africa wrestled the score back to 3-3 in the 21st minute, a goal that was answered a minute later by a French field goal to restore their lead. Three minutes of peace was interrupted by Cameron Le Foriester’s second field goal of the game, which equalised the game once again. France then took two minutes to find their fifth goal, the final one of the quarter, the half and the game. Two wasted penalty corners from South Africa in the third quarter, followed by France failing to convert one in the final quarter, left the game at 5-4, France managing to just about extend their blisteringly early lead to the final buzzer. Germany beat Egypt (10-0):Despite Argentina’s 8 goal winning margin, the most destructive game of the day was won by Germany as they put ten goals past the Egyptian team. The Germans, clearly intent on one-upping their quarter-final opponents, scored with brutal regularity. With two goals coming in each quarter - other than the second which saw four breach Egypt's goalline - Germany rounded off the pool stage in a remarkable manner. Even leaving five penalty corners unconverted, the Germans still scored five corners and five field goals to reach their impressive ten. The Egyptians did manage to win two penalty corners, one in each of the third and fourth quarter, but could not take advantage. Nikas Berendts’ hat-trick was not enough to win him player of the match as Florian Sperling’s two field goals earned him the award. Argentina beat Chile (8-0):Defending champions Argentina continued their faultless pool stage in Kuala Lumpur as they thrashed Chile 8-0. The Chileans made a decent effort of damage control across the first three quarters, managing to keep the score to only 3-0 at the end of the third quarter, however, the final quarter saw the floodgates open. The defending Champions scored five more times to reach 8-0, with Cappuro Bautista’s hat-trick the highlight of an impressive goal-scoring performance. Australia beat Malaysia (5-2):Australia stamped their authority early on in their final group match against Malaysia, as they found themselves 3-0 up at the end of the first quarter. Two converted penalty corners and a field goal left Malaysia with what proved to be too much to do in the final three quarters. Even when Malaysia managed to claw a goal back in the 21st minute, Australia’s reply, six minutes later, reasserted their three goal lead. Similarly, in the third quarter, Malaysia’s 44th minute field goal made it 4-2 before the Australians found their three-goal lead again just a minute later from a successful penalty corner. The game finished 5-2 as Australia maintained the lead they established right from the first quarter, with goals coming from Cooper Burns, Geddes Cambell and Jake Lambeth, the latter two finding the net twice each.

“Man of the Match” Arshad scores three goals, Captain Hanan Shahid one goalSports Bulletin ReportKuala Lumpur (Malaysia): Pakistan outclassed New Zealand 4-0 in the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2023 at Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia on Thursday. Green Shirts were 2-0 up at the halfway.Pakistan started the game in an aggressive mood and attacked the goalpost of opponents continuously and eared back-to-back two penalty corners by they could not get the early lead in the crucial contest. After first quarter, Pakistan and New Zealand were 0-0.Pakistani midfielder Arshad Liaquat scored a field goal in the 19th minute of the game to give Pakistan the lead. In the 30th minute of the second quarter, midfielder Arshad Liaquat made a brilliant play and scored a field goal to stabilize Pakistan's lead.Captain Abdul Hanan Shahid scored the third goal for Pakistan through a penalty corner in the 32nd minute of the game. In the 54th minute of the fourth quarter, midfielder Arshad Liaquat scored the fourth goal for Pakistan. New Zealand team failed to score against Pakistan

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 

Federation asks 39 players to report to camp commandant Shahbaz Ahmed Abdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: The training camp for the national hockey team will get underway on Thursday (today) here at Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium, Pakistan Sports Complex under the umbrella of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF). Pakistan will participate in the Olympic qualifying round, which will take place from January 15 to 21, 2024 in Oman.PHF directed all 39 players to report team manager and camp commandant Olympian Shehbaz Ahmed Senior. Besides Pakistan, teams from England, Germany, New Zealand, Malaysia, Canada, Chile, and China will participate in this event. The teams have been divided into two pools, as Pool A will consist of England, Malaysia, Pakistan, and China while Pool B Germany, New Zealand, Canada, and Chile.Names of players training camp:Goalkeepers (5): Akmal Hussain (WAPDA), Abdullah Ishtiaq Khan (Mari Petroleum), Mohammad Waqar (WAPDA), Bilal Khan (Baluchistan), Muneebur Rehman (Punjab)Defenders (5): Mohammad Abdullah (Mari Petroleum), Bilal Aslam (Customs), Rizwan Ali (Punjab), Samin Ahmed (Sargodha), Mateen Ahmed (WAPDA)Midfielders (10): Osama Bashir (Pakistan Air Force), Abubakar Mehmood (National Bank), Moin Shakeel (WAPDA), Hamad Anjum (WAPDA), Tazeemul Hasan (WAPDA), Adeel Latif (Customs), Junaid Manzoor (National Bank), Babar Sadat (Karachi), Faheem Khan (Sindh Police), Nadeem Razak - (WAPDA)Forwards (19): Rana Abdul Waheed (WAPDA), Mohammad Afraz (Mari Petroleum), Roman (WAPDA), Waqar Ali (Mari Petroleum), Mohammad Umar Bhatta (WAPDA), Umair Sattar (Mari Petroleum), Ahmed Nadeem (Punjab), Ehsan Elahi (Punjab), Ahmed Raza (Punjab), Salman Razak, (WAPDA), Samiullah (Punjab), Abdul Qadir, (Dado), Haris Sarwar (Sukkur), Arslan Haider (Karachi), Noman Khan (Karachi), Usman Ali (Punjab Police), Ali Hasher (Mari Petroleum), Ijaz Ahmed (WAPDA), Shiroz Khan (Rangers).