Sports Bulletin

Islamabad (Sports Desk): Day two of the FIH Hockey World Cup delivered plenty more action on Sunday, with significant wins, brave draws and spirited comeback efforts across the two venues in Belgium and the Netherlands.Former champions Australia enjoyed a solid start to their World Cup campaign, beating Ireland’s men 3-1 in their tournament opener. Joel Rintala opened the scoring in the seventh minute when his penalty-corner strike hit the post before rebounding off the goalkeeper and into the net, and he doubled the lead with another PC in the second quarter. Blake Govers then made it 3-0 from yet another penalty corner, scoring the 167th international goal of his career. The three-time world champions’ intensity dropped off in the second half, and Alistair Empey managed to pull one back for the Irish, popping it in after a penalty corner save rebounded off goalkeeper Ash Thomas’ helmet. Ireland then applied plenty of late pressure with Thomas being repeatedly put to the test, but the Kookaburras held firm to secure the victory.Australia’s Liam Henderson was named as Player of the Match and said afterwards: “It was good fun, good to get a first hit out, good win…”Later in the day, the Dutch men survived an early scare to beat New Zealand 5-1. The Black Sticks stunned the Amsterdam crowd when James Hickson put them ahead in the 23rd minute, but the second half belonged to the Netherlands. Tjep Hoedemakers levelled with some one-touch magic in the 35th minute, before Duco Telgenkamp fired home a rebound after a penalty-corner save to put the hosts ahead in the 41st. Thierry Brinkman then tapped in the third eight minutes later, Hoedemakers grabbed his second just a minute after that, and Koen Bijen completed the rout from a penalty corner in the 52nd minute, sending a relieved Dutch crowd home happy.New Zealand’s women stunned Belgium in a similar manner in their encounter in Wavre before the hosts rallied for a 5-2 win. The Kiwis took an early lead through a penalty-corner rebound in the fourth minute, but Stephanie Vanden Borre levelled five minutes later before Emma Puvrez put Belgium ahead in the 12th. Charlotte Englebert capitalised on a defensive error to make it 3-1 10 minutes later, before Hannah Cotter pulled one back for New Zealand with a reverse-stick strike on the counter in the 33rd minute. Justine Rasir then restored Belgium’s two-goal cushion from a messy penalty-corner rebound in the 41st, before adding her second six minutes later to seal the 5-2 win.Puvrez was named Player of the Match and said: “It was wonderful. Already in the first seconds, the public was awesome. The people were great and we felt the support until the end… and I’m very happy we could take a win home with the team.”England’s women recorded their first win in a World Cup opener since 2010 with a convincing 4-0 victory over South Africa. Despite a strong start from the African champions, England took control early, with goals from Darcy Bourne and Tessa Howard. Elizabeth Neal added a third from another penalty corner just 24 seconds before half-time, before Sophie Hamilton completed the scoring in the third quarter with a powerful reverse-stick finish from a lovely team build-up.Meanwhile, India and China’s women played out another World Cup thriller as the sides shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw. Navneet Kaur gave India the lead in the eighth minute, but Zhang Ying levelled from a penalty stroke just eight seconds before the first break. Deepika restored India’s advantage in the 25th minute with a penalty corner that took a vicious deflection off a Chinese defender, but Ma Ning’s expertly executed penalty corner in the 39th minute earned China a draw and a share of the points – the same result as the World Cup pool encounter between the same sides four years ago.Spain’s men made a fast start and held off a spirited South African comeback to claim a 3-1 win. Two first-quarter goals less than a minute apart, from Marc Reyne and José Basterra, put South Africa on the back foot early. Basterra added his second shortly before half-time to put Spain firmly in control. The South Africans responded with a stronger third quarter, finally breaking through when Mustapha Cassiem rocketed a penalty corner into the top-left corner. Despite sustained pressure, the Red Sticks' defence held on to secure the victory.In other action, the keepers at both ends were called upon in the opening quarter of the clash between Argentina and Japan’s men. The Argentinians broke the deadlock in the second quarter with Nicolas Keenan setting up Joaquin Toscani to provide the finish from close-range to take his team 1-0 up in the 22nd minute. That lead was doubled by Lucio Mendez after some scrappy play in the 54th minute. Maico Casella then helped Martin Ferreiro’s mis-hit shot over the line for their third goal four minutes later to wrap up a somewhat flattering 3-0 win after a brave effort from Japan that was just lacking the finishing touch.In the final match of the day, Spain’s women had two first-half goals disallowed against Ireland but still managed to take a 1-0 lead into the break, thanks to some excellent skill from Laia Vidosa to score in the 23rd minute. Hannah McLoughlin then provided the equaliser for Ireland off a penalty corner deflection in the 36th. Both teams scored from penalty corners in the third quarter, keeping matters level heading into the final period. But Spain’s captain Xantal Gine stepped up with five minutes to go, firing in the winner for her side off another penalty corner.

Islamabad (Sports Desk): Germany’s men and the Netherlands’ women got their FIH Hockey World Cup title defence off to the perfect start with opening day victories as the tournament kicked off across two host venues – in Belgium and the Netherlands.The German men raced into a three-goal lead in the opening eight minutes of their match against Malaysia after Jakob Brilla scored from a penalty corner in the fourth minute, Christopher Ruhr added a field goal in the fifth, and Justus Weigand finished off a great team effort in the eighth.The Malaysians did well to contain the Germans in the second quarter, which remained goalless. They then pulled one back through Abu Kamal Azrai in the 40th minute. But Germany regained their three-goal lead just before the final break thanks to a well-timed deflection from Justus Warweg and Paul-Philipp Kaufmann tapped in a fifth in the final quarter to wrap up the 5-1 win.Meanwhile, the Dutch women were given a stern test by Chile in their opening match but ultimately prevailed 2-0.It took the hosts until the 21st minute to break the deadlock, with Marijn Veen getting the perfect deflection on a Yibbi Jansen pass to put the Netherlands ahead. Jansen doubled their lead from a penalty corner in the 35th minute, but the Dutch attack was made to work for every opportunity as Chile, led by a superb performance from goalkeeper Natalia Salvador, put up a resolute defensive display.Marijn Veen was named Player of the Match and said afterwards: “It’s so amazing to play a World Cup in your own home city and in your own country. We are very grateful and proud and love all the orange people.”It was another massive defensive effort that saw the United States women pull off a brave draw against 2022 FIH Hockey World Cup silver medallists Argentina. Brisa Bruggesser put Las Leonas in front in the 11th minute before Emma DeBerdine found the equaliser just before the half-time break. The Americans then produced an impressive defensive display to hold on for the 1-1 draw and the all-important point.Earlier, in the first match of the tournament, Japan’s women did well to keep the Australians out for much of the first half of their encounter in Amsterdam. But the first goal of the FIH Hockey World Cup eventually came courtesy of an Australian penalty corner, with Claire Colwill dragging in the opener in the 27th minute. Colwill plugged in a second from Australia’s fifth penalty corner of the match in the 51st minute – again dragging the ball into the bottom right corner to seal a 2-0 victory.Colwill was named Player of the Match and said afterwards: “It’s a great start and I think to be the first game of the whole tournament is really exciting too, so hopefully the crowd liked it and got around us.”The first men’s match of the tournament saw India celebrating their Independence Day with a 3-1 win against Wales in Jacob Draper’s 100th match for the Welsh. India’s first goal came from a penalty corner with Sanjay’s flick squeezing through the keeper’s legs in the eighth minute.Harmanpreet Singh added his name to the scoresheet three minutes later from a perfectly executed penalty corner. And the prolific veteran completed his brace with another excellently taken penalty corner in the third quarter. Sam Welsh pulled one back for Wales in the 56th minute, but it was not enough to deny the Indians a confident 3-1 win.Harmanpreet was named Player of the Match and said: “I think we started very well and I’m very happy with one of our youngsters scoring a goal with a drag flick and as a team we managed the ball very well.”

Sports Bulletin ReportISLAMABAD: The South Korean hockey team beat Pakistan 6-2 in the final fixture of a 4-match series here at the Nasser Bunda Hockey Stadium, Pakistan Sports Complex on Friday. Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) created an opportunity for the Under-21 side to gain valuable international exposure against the experienced Korean lads.South Korea made a flying start, scoring twice in the opening quarter through Rim Jinkang in the third minute and Kim Hyeonhong in the fifth minute, both from penalty corners, to take a 2-0 lead. Pakistan reduced the deficit in the second quarter when Mohammad Ahmed scored a field goal in the 19th minute, leaving Korea ahead 2-1 at half-time.The visitors dominated the third quarter, converting three penalty corners. Lim Dohyun struck in the 37th and 40th minutes, while Kim Hyeonhong added his second goal of the match in the 42nd minute to extend Korea’s lead to 5-1.Pakistan responded immediately in the fourth quarter as Ghulam Mustafa scored a field goal in the 43rd minute. However, Kim Yong Bok sealed Korea’s 6-2 victory with another field goal in the 54th minute.Although the Under-21 side lost the final fixture, Pakistan’s senior team had already wrapped up the series with three consecutive victories. The national team’s overall performance throughout the series drew widespread appreciation from hockey fans, reflecting encouraging progress ahead of upcoming international competitions. 

Islamabad (faisal: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has officially announced the 20-member national squad and team management for the FIH Hockey Men's World Cup 2026, scheduled to be held from 15 to 30 August 2026 in Amstelveen, the Netherlands, and Belgium.Pakistan SquadWaqar Ahmed, Mohammad Abdullah, Mohammad Sufyan Khan, Moin Shakeel, Abdul Waheed Ashraf Rana, Abdul Hannan Shahid, Zikriya Hayat, Arshad Liaqat, Adeel Latif, Ahmad Nadeem, Ghazanfar Ali, Ammad Shakeel Butt, Mohammad Hammaduddin Anjum, Rehman Abdul,Mohammad Afraz, Umar Mustafa, Abu Bakar Mahmood, Ali Raza, Abdul Manan, Mohammad Ammad, Waqar and Ali Raza.Team ManagementHead Coach: Bob Johan Veldhof (Netherlands), Assistant Coach: Christopher John Bowen (Great Britain), Assistant Coach: Adnan ZakirTeam Manager: Mohammad Awais QarniVideo Technician: Ashraf Sultan.

Abdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: The penultimate fixture of the 4-Test match Series between hosts Pakistan and South Korea will be played on Tuesday (August 4, 2026) at Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium, Pakistan Sports Complex Islamabad. It is pertinent to mention that the Green Shirts are ahead 2-0, an unassailable lead in the tie.According to an official of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), the match will kick off at 5:15 pm, and the stage is ready for an international hockey competition, as hockey lovers are keen to enjoy good hockey between the two best nations of Asia.Pakistan defeated South Korea in the first Test 3-1, while the second Test match finished in similar style 3-0 at the same venue on July 30 and August 1, respectively. Abu Bakar Mehmood will lead the Pakistan team while Jihun Yang will lead the visiting team in a do-or-die match. South Korea are 2-0 in the series and they will have to win the match to keep the hopes alive to square the vital hockey series before the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026, which will be played in Belgium and Holland this month.     Pakistan Squad: Mohammad Waqar (Goalkeeper), Mohammad Abdullah, Umer Mustafa, Sufyan Khan, Moin Shakeel, Rana Waheed Ashraf, Zikriya Hayat, Arashad Laiquat, Adeel Latif, Ahmed Nadeem, Ghazanfar Ali, Ahmed Butt, Mohammad Hammadudin, Abdul Rehman, Mohammad Afraz, Abu Bakar Mehmood (Captain), Ali Raza (Goalkeeper), Mohammad AmmadSouth Korea Squad: Jaaehyeeon Kim (Goalkeepeer), Kyubeom Kim, Jihun Yang (Captain), Jaewon Sim, Jinkang Rim, Jaeho Kim, Young Bok Kim, Gangskin Lee, Dohyun Lim, Seyong Oh, Bain Son, Hyeongjin Kim, Soung Min Bae, Hyeonhong Kim, Seungwoo Lee, Jaehan Kim(Goalkeeper), Hyeseung Lee, Cheoleon Park.

Abdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: Pakistan men’s hockey team overpowered South Korea 3-1 in the first match of the 4-Test match tie here at Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium, Pakistan Sports Complex, on Thursday. Mohammad Sufyan scored two goals while skipper Mohammad Abubakar scored one for Pakistan. Jang Ji-Hun scored the solitary goal for South Korea.Both teams started the game at a slow, cautious pace. They tried their best to keep the ball in control, as the first quarter ended goalless. Pakistan made a couple of attempts but could not move the scoreboard. Meanwhile, in the second quarter, the hosts earned the lead when Sufyan penalty corner push went into the goalpost. Jang Ji leveled the match 1-1 after scoring a goal on short-corner.

Abdullah AsjadISLAMABAD: The South Korea men's national hockey team arrived in the capital city Islamabad on Tuesday day to play a four-match Series, which will be kicked off on July 30 here at Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium, Pakistan Sports Complex.According to an official of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), the first Test will be played at 6:00 p.m. on July 30, while the remaining matches are scheduled for August 1, August 4, and August 7, with all games set to begin at the same time.The series forms a key part of Pakistan's build-up to the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup. The four-match contest against one of Asia's leading hockey nations is expected to provide valuable international exposure, allowing the national team's coaching staff to assess player performances and finalize combinations ahead of the global event.The PHF has also announced that the second leg of the bilateral series will be staged in South Korea. Pakistan's national team is scheduled to tour South Korea in September, ahead of the Asian Games, for another series of international fixtures as both countries continue their preparations for upcoming major tournaments.

Sports Bulletin ReportISLAMABAD: Chairman, National Selection Committee (NSC) of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), and former hockey legend Samiullah Khan hoped that Pakistan national hockey team would produce acceptable results in the forthcoming FIH Men’s World Cup Hockey Tournament, which would be rolled into action next month from August 15, 2026 in two European nations, Belgium and Netherlands simultaneously.While talking to Editor www.sports-bulletin.com Abdul Jabbar Faisal here at Nasser Bunda Hockey Stadium, Pakistan Sports Complex on Thursday, he further said, “We have around one month for hockey showpiece and foreign coaches are working with the team. Boys are improving the game day by day. England, India and Wales are in our group and we will have to win at least two matches to reach in quarterfinals. Players have the abilities to overcome heavy weights India and England. Despite of facing defeats against both countries recently in FIH Pro-League we can beat high ranked hockey nations because Green Shirts lost first match against India and England by a close margin. After removing the flaws we can challenge traditional foes India in the world cup match, “he elaborated.To a question, he said that Pakistan should reach in top-8 in the world ranking of International Hockey Federation (FIH) and PHF started a long term plan to achieve the targets. “When we will be in the top eight team of world then we will be able to claim upset victories in the upcoming international fixtures. We can move ahead step by step and we should focus on the all the aspects. There is need to promote the hockey at the grass-root level and incentives must be given to players to attract them toward national game hockey. We do not have enough nursery of hockey at lower level. Government support and sponsorship is essential to uplift the standard of game in the country, “he added.A question regarding hiring the services of overseas hockey coaches, Samiullah said, “I am personally not in the favour of foreign mentors and I thing we need physical trainer because the guys are lacking in stamina and fitness, which is very important and basic aspect. However, I saw here the players are toiling hard under the foreign coaches and coaches are also doing smart work with the lads this is good and positive sign for our hockey. It seems that coaches are doing a good and appreciate able job. I hope they will establish a good combination before the hockey world cup 2026. PHF hired three persons, one head coach, one goalkeeper coach and one trainer from different countries, “he said.“Unfortunately, no one knows the name of national hockey players and I was also not aware the names of national players before taking the new honourary responsibilities and I got the data and information about these guy. To raise the stander of hockey, PHF and all other stake holder will have to focus on basic issues and needs of players, including financial, diet, training and other incentives. We need to take the tangible steps and to form a long term strategy to reach on the top in world hockey again. We have tremendous hockey talent in the country and there is need to bring up and polish that and to stream line the hockey affairs, “former captain of national hockey team, legend Samiullah Khan concluded.

Lausanne, Switzerland (PR): International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced the expansion of the number of teams participating in the FIH Hockey Nations Cup and the FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2 from the current eight to ten teams from the next edition onwards. In total, this move means that eight additional teams will participate across these events each year.Furthermore, the FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2, introduced last year, will become an annual event from 2027 onwards. This will provide more consistent exposure for teams of this level and simplify the qualification structure by aligning Nations Cup 2 with the Nations Cup and the FIH Hockey Pro League.FIH President Tayyab Ikram expressed his great satisfaction following today’s announcement: “These decisions, taken upon my initiative, are in continuation with our Empowerment and Engagement strategy. They are crucial in fostering equal opportunities for athletes and nations to participate, develop, and grow.I am particularly pleased for all the second- and third-tier teams that previously lacked sufficient opportunities to test themselves in high-level tournaments before the introduction of both events.The Nations Cup will be held in the next couple of days for the fourth time and has already established itself as a major event on hockey’s global calendar for both athletes and fans.The inaugural editions of the Nations Cup 2 last year were a tremendous success, and there has been a strong demand from the participating teams to hold this event annually ever since.”The expansion of teams also means that no team will be relegated from this year’s FIH Hockey Nations Cup starting tomorrow in Cape Town, South Africa (Men’s) and on 15 June in Auckland, New Zealand (Women’s).

Sports Bulletin ReportLausanne, Switzerland: As the final stages of the current FIH Hockey Pro League season approach (starting from 13 June), let us hear from the participating teams. Today, Pakistan's Captain Ammad Shakeel Butt shares his thoughts.As the FIH Hockey Pro League resumes in June, what key improvements do you think Pakistan still needs to make to compete effectively at this level?Keeping in mind this was our first participation in the FIH Hockey Pro League, it has already been a positive step for Pakistan hockey. It has helped us understand the level required to compete with the best teams. The core aim is to improve our ball possession in the midfield and be more composed under high press. The accuracy in finishing inside the circle and penalty corner conversion must be above 40%. On the defensive side, we must avoid small mistakes, especially on counter-attacks, because top teams do punish every error. Our major area of concern is Goalkeeping, where we do get easily exposed at key moments and it does cost us. At the same time, we are working on it with full focus and belief. If we tighten these areas, we are confident we will be far more competitive in the next phase, Inshallah.How important is this Pro League phase in June for Pakistan to build momentum ahead of major tournaments like the World Cup and Asian Games?This phase is extremely important for us, it is our best preparation platform. Every match in the Pro League comes with very high intensity. Playing back-to-back against world-class teams will surely build our momentum before major tournaments, as it will not only help us physically but also make us mentally stronger to handle pressure with more ease. If we manage to compete strongly and pick up positive results in the June phase, that confidence will surely give us a boost and carry forward into the World cup and Asian Games.The Pro League will see Pakistan face top teams, including high-intensity matches against rivals like India—how is the team preparing for these big encounters?We are preparing in a structured and disciplined way. In the Pro League, every match is a tough challenge, so our approach stays the same against every team. For us, India is just another opponent team on the match day. The rivalry does add extra excitement and spice things up, but our focus remains on our own game. We are ready, we are focusing on playing disciplined hockey, staying united as a team, and backing our strengths with confidence in every match.With the Pro League returning in June, how crucial will the support of Pakistan’s passionate hockey fans be in motivating the team?Our fans are like extra invisible players for us on the field. Their passion and support push us to go beyond our limits. Sometimes, when we feel like giving up, a thought comes to us that we might be living someone else’s dream, so we give that extra effort for everyone who believes in us. The feeling when we know the whole nation is watching us, praying for us, and standing behind us gives us extra strength to conquer.. The fans’ support truly means a lot to us. We will be keep giving our best to make them proud.As captain, what message would you like to give to the fans ahead of the Pro League matches in June regarding the team's ambitions and direction?As captain of the Pakistan hockey team, I request every hockey fan to stay with us and keep their trust in us. We know the road has been long and difficult, but this team is here in the FIH Hockey Pro League. I promise you, on behalf of myself and the team, that we will never stop fighting. We will fight for every ball to raise the Pakistan flag on the hockey field again. Continue to support us with the same passion. Better days are coming. Pakistan hockey will rise again. Inshallah.