Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin ReportKuala Lumpur (Malaysia): Five first-half goals proved decisive for New Zealand to overwhelm Pakistan in the final of the FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday. The dominant Black Sticks added one more goal in the second half to secure a 6-2 victory, and with that, their second consecutive title and the opportunity to step up to the top-tier FIH Hockey Pro League.In the playoff for the bronze medal, it was France who prevailed against Korea in a shootout while Wales beat hosts Malaysia to secure fifth place, and Japan came out on top in the playoff for seventh against former Nations Cup champions South Africa.Pakistan 2 - 6 New Zealand: The tone was set early, with New Zealand twice finding the back of the net in the opening minutes, only for both goals to be disallowed. Still, they kept up the pressure and eventually broke through when Scott Cosslett converted a penalty corner to open the scoring. Just as Pakistan began to finally find their rhythm and enjoy some possession, New Zealand struck again, Jonty Elmes setting up Sam Hiha to double their lead.Early in the second quarter, a long pass into the circle found Dylan Thomas, who reacted quickest to a rebound off the keeper to make it 3-0. Sean Findlay then blasted in a fourth after receiving an aerial pass just inside the circle and somehow slotting it in from the sharpest of angles.Just under 10 minutes later, the Black Sticks were at it again when a lifted ball came off the Pakistani goalkeeper, and Scott Boyde was on hand to swat it home, sending the New Zealanders into the half-time break with a commanding 5-0 lead.Left with a mountain to climb in the second half, Pakistan finally got off the mark in the 33rd minute when Moin Shakeel found the back of the net from close range. Suddenly the men in green sparked to life, creating far more chances and looking threatening. But the New Zealand defence stood firm.The Kiwis added one more goal from a penalty corner in the final three minutes of the match, Cosslett’s second successful drag flick, to rub salt in Pakistan’s wounds. Sufyan Khan then found one last consolation for Pakistan off a penalty corner of their own to make the 6-2 scoreline slightly more respectable.France 3 - 3 Korea (SO: 3-2): France and Korea reignited their rivalry in the bronze medal match, both sides seeking consolation after painful shootout defeats in the semifinals. Fittingly, their battle was once again settled in a shootout, with France emerging victorious to claim third place.The opening quarter was evenly contested until the final seconds, when Louis Haertelmeyer worked his way into the circle and crossed to Benjamin Marqué who fired into the top of the net for a 1–0 French lead. Korea hit back early in the second quarter through a powerful Jihun Yang drag flick from their first penalty corner. With just under five minutes left in the half, a French penalty corner chance went awry, but Viktor Lockwood drove the ball back into the circle with Xavier Esmenjaud’s superb deflection then restoring the lead at 2-1 before the break.France appeared to control much of the third quarter, but with just 28 seconds remaining, Korea earned their second penalty corner of the match. Dohyun Lim maintained their perfect conversion rate, firing home to make it two from two and bring the sides level once again. The Koreans then extended that record with another penalty corner goal from Yang early in the final period to take the lead for the first time. But the French responded immediately with a goal from Corentin Sellier a minute later.The Koreans earned a late penalty corner with under five minutes to go, but this time it did not go their way, and the French held their nerve to clinch the win in the ensuing shootout.Wales 2 - 1 Malaysia: Wales claimed a narrow victory over hosts Malaysia in an entertaining encounter to secure fifth place in the tournament.The first quarter saw action at both ends, with several opportunities in front of goal. It was Malaysia who capitalised in the second period, when Sayed Cholan unleashed a powerful drag flick from a penalty corner that blazed into the bottom left corner, handing the hosts a 1–0 lead.Although Wales enjoyed more possession in the second quarter, the Malaysians looked more threatening on attack. By the third period, Wales had gained control, though. With just over three minutes left in the quarter, Jack Pritchard initially mis-trapped a Welsh penalty corner but recovered quickly, took the ball into the circle, and hammered a shot towards goal. Rhys Bradshaw was perfectly positioned to deflect it in for the equaliser.Wales kept up the momentum in the final quarter, and with just over 10 minutes to play, they struck again from a penalty corner. This time Gareth Furlong fired a low drag flick into the bottom left corner to edge his side 2-1 ahead. The home team launched a late push and thought they had salvaged a dramatic equaliser with just eight seconds left on the clock. However, the goal was ruled out on review, and Wales held on for the win.Japan 2 - 1 South Africa: Japan came from a goal down to defeat former champions South Africa to avoid bottom spot in the tournament.The South Africans took an early lead in the seventh minute thanks to a Calvin Davis drag flick off his side’s second penalty corner of the match. At the other end, Japan’s first effort off a penalty corner hit the post. Just moments later, Trevor de Lora had a golden opportunity to double the South Africans’ lead when he found himself one-on-one with the keeper from a counterattack, but his shot went wide. The second quarter remained goalless largely because of the efforts of SA keeper Hendrik Kriek, who took his side to the half-time break still 1-0 up.Despite dominating possession, South Africa couldn’t make it count, with Japan’s defence holding firm. The third quarter saw two moments of brilliance from Japan that turned the game. An aerial ball from deep in their own half found Ryoma Ooka, who set up Ryosuke Shinohara for an impressive 35th-minute equaliser. Then, a clever behind-the-back flick from Kazumasa Matsumoto allowed Kosei Kawabe to blast them ahead seven minutes later. South Africa pulled their keeper in the final minute and earned a flurry of late penalty corners but, once again, couldn’t capitalise.

ISLAMABAD (Sports Desk): Pakistan roared back against France in the first semi-final, causing a real upset in beating Les Bleus 3-2 on penalties. Led by the mercurial creative powers of Waheeb Ashraf Rana, Pakistan will be playing for a spot in the FIH Men’s Pro League against New Zealand in the final. The Blacksticks won a penalty shootout of their own, beating Korea despite a strong comeback thanks to the impressive Korean penalty corner battery. The 3rd/4th place play-off will be a repeat of the incredible Day 1 game that finished 6-5 between France and Korea.Wales 6-4 JapanBoth sides began the 5th-8th place play-offs searching for their first win. Wales’s Fred Newbold opened the scoring on his reverse in the ninth minute, smartly beating Kisho Kuroda at his near post. Japan responded four minutes into the second quarter with a penalty corner excellently guided between ‘keeper and left-post defender by a diving Ryoma Ooka. Less than a minute later, however, and Wales had a deflection of their own after Joylon Morgan got a stick to Gareth Furlong’s penetrating slap to re-establish the Welsh lead. As the first-half neared its close, Japan won another penalty corner, one that was mis-trapped, passed back and across the circle before Koji Yamasaki volleyed a forehand hit across goal to equalise going into half-time.Two minutes into the second half and the goals started to flow even more freely. Kazumasa Matsumoto’s rifled shot clattered against the backboard to give Japan a lead and, just a few possessions later, Sam Welsh knocked in another Welsh goal to make it 3-3. The goal, coming from Jack Pritchard’s explosive spinning assist, lifted Wales to find the lead again, this time Morgan slicing a reverse bunt over the ‘keeper. Koji Yamasaki was shown a yellow card with a minute left in the third quarter and Wales capitalised, Joylon Morgan getting a bit of fortune for his hat-trick goal as his cross-goal slap pinballed its way over the goalline. The final quarter saw a Gareth Furlong drag-flick and a Kosei Kawabe consolation cancel each other out to leave the score 6-4 and send Wales through to the 5th-6th place play-off with their first win of the tournament.Malaysia 4-2 South AfricaAfter a gut-wrenching failure to qualify for Malaysia, the host nation came into the game with work to do and fans to recompense. They struck first with a minute left in the first quarter, as Syed Cholan slugged a rapid drag-flick against the backboard from Malaysia’s third penalty corner. Into the second quarter, again with a minute until the end of the period, South Africa quickly turned over a Malaysian counter-attack and sent the ball deep into the hosts’ half. A defensive fumble in the circle fell to Angelo Walstroom who confidently equalised.After gifting an equalising goal to the South Africans, Malaysia took charge of the game in the third quarter as Shafiq Hassan wrestled in a chance created by the scything carry of Chohan and good skill from Abu Kamal Azrai. Hassan created the next one himself, cutting infield and shooting before Akhimullah Anuar bumbled the ball over the line to extend the hosts’ lead. South Africa threatened another comeback in the final quarter as Carlon Mentoor’s firm slap found the bottom corner but Fitri Saari’s ended the scrappy play in the circle by restoring Malaysia’s two-goal lead. South Africa will have to wait for their first win of the tournament but will hope to get it tomorrow against Japan.France 3 (2) - 3 (3) PakistanFrance, after a strong showing in the pool stages, faced Pakistan in the first semi-final and the most exciting game of the day. The first quarter remained goalless despite five penalty corners being exchanged, one for Pakistan, four for France. In the second quarter, Xavier Esmenjaud threw himself forward with an outstretched stick to put Les Bleus in the lead, touching in a ball across goal. Early in the second half, France doubled their lead, as the inevitable Victor Charlet converted France’s fifth penalty corner to give France a real boost towards the final.Pakistan roared back into the game, however, overturning France the dominance and control as Waheed Ashraf Rana set up Afraz’s slap shot before both erupted into celebrations that marked the shift in momentum. Sufyan Khan joined the party, letting fly an unsaveable drag-flick into the top left corner and finding parity with the French. A minute later, Muhammad Hammadudin fantastically deflected in Rana’s flat reverse hit to go 3-2 up. Victor Charlet, of course, stepped up with two minutes to play for the French, as his deflected flick equalised with two minutes to go. Pakistan went on to win the penalty shootout using just four of their five attempts as France failed to convert chances even after they had wrongfooted the ‘keeper. Pakistan head to their second Nations Cup final in as many years looking to go one better than they did last year.After Waheeb Ashraf Rana’s creativity and winning penalty named him Player of the Match, he said: “We were ready for this win for a long time. 110 percent effort from the boys’ side Everything we have – we gave everything. [We are] thankful to Allah almighty for helping us. We are really proud of the team and looking forward to the finals now.”New Zealand 2 (4) - 2 (2) KoreaThe final game of the day began with two stunning goals, both from New Zealand. At the end of a relatively subdued first quarter, Scott Boyde’s lasered slap was deflected in on the turn by Jonty Elmes, who redirected the ball into the bottom right corner whilst wrongfooting Kim Jaehan in goal. Dylan Thomas one-upped his teammate however, dancing in from the sideline to turn a relatively innocuous possession into one of the goals of the tournament. After swiftly beating three Korean defenders, he sent a flick up into the roof of the net to double the Blackstick lead. From then, as Pakistan had in the game before, Korea chipped away at their opponents 2-0 lead. First to make a dent was drag-flicker Lim Dohyun who manufactured the angle needed to beat Dominic Dixon past his helpless right foot from Korea’s second penalty corner. Yang Jihun piled in on the act, rocketing his third quarter drag-flick into the bottom right and pulling scores level. The momentum flitted back and forth between the two teams until the final whistle took the sides to another penalty shootout. Kim Jaehan made a good save to deny the first Blackstick penalty but after Korea failed to convert their first two, New Zealand always had the upper hand to win the shootout and make it to the final. Korea, after a fantastic tournament already, will face France in the 3rd/4th place play-off.

ISLAMABAD (Sports Desk): Pakistan born, Rana Nawaz to lead Allince International Hockey Club team in the forthcoming World Masters Hockey European Championship (European Continental Championship), scheduled to take place in Spain in June 2025.According to details, a Holland based Alliance International Hockey Club will take part in the World Masters European Championship 2025, in which fifteen hockey teams from European countries will fight for the title including England, Spain, Wales, Scotland, Alliance International, Netherlands, Germany, France, Turkey and Ireland.The opening match of the European Hockey Championship will be played on June 20, while the final match of the qualified teams will be played on June 29. Alliance International Hockey Team Captain Rana Mohammad Nawaz said that the Alliance International Hockey Team, in which former legends and famous players will participate, will be Olympian Shahbaz Ahmed Senior, Olympian Shahbaz Junior, Olympian Irfan Mahmood, Mohammad Irfan International, Ehsanullah Khan International, Mohammad Adnan Ashraf International, Shabbir Hassan International, Amir Shahzad International, Khurram Shahzad International, Mohammad Riasat International, Muaz. Munir, Samiullah Khan, Noor Rana and other players including Canadian International will participate. The team physio will be Dr. Mohammad Amir Farooq. He said that it is a great honor for me to represent the Alliance International Hockey Team and perform the duties of captain. The morale of our team players is high and we will achieve significant success in the Eurocontinental Championship.

Islamabad (Sports Desk): Pakistan will participate in the third edition of the FIH Hockey Nations Cup for Men’s, which will take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 15-21 June 2025. Besides hosts Malaysia, France, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, and Wales will fight for top honour.Malaysian Hockey Confederation President, Subahan bin Kamal said: “The Malaysian Hockey Confederation is delighted and privileged to host the FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2024-25 in Kuala Lumpur. We are grateful to FIH in entrusting us to host this amazing event for the very first time. We are excited and believe this tournament will definitely bring the best of world hockey talents to Malaysia. We would also like to thank our Honourable Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh in supporting our effort in hosting this event.”FIH President Tayyab Ikram said: “It’s a true delight to go back to Malaysia with one of our major events. Our hosts have always been wonderful hockey tournament organisers and the same will prevail again for this Men’s Nations Cup that will qualify the winners for the next edition of the FIH Hockey Pro League. On behalf of FIH, I’d like to extend our sincerest gratitude to our Malaysian friends. I already wish everyone, and first and foremost the athletes, to make the most of this experience to grow, and reach the next level”. The FIH Hockey Nations Cup was launched in 2021 with the aim of offering a top-level competition to the best-ranked teams not participating in the FIH Hockey Pro League and giving the winning team the option to be promoted to the FIH Hockey Pro League the next season, precisely. The first two editions were played in Potchefstroom, South Africa (2022) and Gniezno, Poland (2024). The inaugural Nations Cup (men) was won by South Africa, the following one by New Zealand. 

Sports Bulletin ReportLausanne (Switzerland): A stellar offensive and defensive effort from Scotland in the final against Egypt saw them come away with a 4-2 win to claim the inaugural FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2 title and the promotion to the FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2026. 7/8 Place: Oman 1 – 2 Chile: The 7/8 place classification game started with an early goal from Chile as a shot from Kay Gesswein took an unfortunate deflection off Al Shaaibi and went past the wrong footed keeper. The game was played in an end-to-end fashion with Chile holding more possession, but Oman created some good chances, including two penalty corners, and went close from both of them, but could not find the target. Chile almost doubled their lead on the stroke of halftime but Felipe Richard’s shot hit the post and went wide with Chile taking a 1-0 lead into the break. Oman continued to improve as the game went on and their work in the third quarter was rewarded as a string of penalty corners finally helped them open the scoring as captain, and centurion on the day, Khalid Al Shaaibi injected the ball on the set piece got to the near post and deflected the shot in, to mark his milestone with a goal. It was Chile however who got the winner as an attempted clearance by the Oman defence fell to Alvaro Garcia, who did well to bring the ball under his control and smash a shot past the keeper to earn Chile a win in their final match at the event.5/6 Place: China 1 – 3 Austria: The first half was a tale of Chinese dominance and two penalty corners. The first one was scored by China in the opening quarter through Gao Jiesheng. The goal was the only conversion by China from their 7 penalty corners in the opening half. Austria’s equaliser also came from a penalty corner in a dramatic fashion. They won the set piece with 2 seconds left on the clock and while their initial attempt was stopped on the line, China stopped playing while the ball was still inside the circle, and a sharp steal by Austria led to Moritz Frey steering the ball into an empty goal while the Chinese defence stood shell shocked. Austria used the momentum from their late equaliser in the first half to make a much better start to the second. Their early pressure paid off with Moritz Frey receiving a long aerial in the Chinese circle and getting a powerful reverse shot on target beyond the keeper to give the Red Capricorns the lead. As China threw more and more player into attack in search of the equaliser, Austria scored a third from a counter attack with Josef Winkler and Nikolas Wellan playing one-twos around the keeper, leaving Wellan with an empty goal to tap the ball into. Moritz Frey was awarded player of the match for his two goals that helped Austria get the win and get the 5th place in the competition. Bronze: USA 2 – 2 Poland (Shoot-out: USA 1-3 Poland): Two evenly matched sides in USA and Poland produced fantastic hockey in the opening quarter, but a grave error from Mendoza on the edge of the USA circle, as he tried to play a no-look pass to his teammate led to the opening goal for Poland. The attempted pass went straight to the waiting stick of Koperski, who took one step and buried a powerful shot from the top of the circle into the corner of the goal. That goal remained the only one to be scored in the opening half.USA started slow in the second half with the Polish side in the ascendancy. The second goal of the game also went Poland’s way after Koperski’s flick was stopped on the goal-line by the post defender’s foot and led to a penalty stroke, which was dispatched with ease by Gracjan Jarzyński who doubled the European side’s lead in the bronze medal match. USA were back level by the end of the third quarter with Aki Kaeppelar scoring from a penalty stroke and Mehtab Grewal putting the finishing touches to a great move from the left flank by Pat Harris and Charasika. With no goals coming in the final quarter despite USA’s dominance, the match headed into the shoot-outs to determine the outcome. Polish keeper Mateusz Popiołkowski was the star of the show in the shoot-outs as he stopped USA on three of their four attempts, while Poland strikers converted all three of their attempts as Poland came away winners, to become the bronze medalists at the FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2 Oman 2025.Final: Egypt 2 – 4 Scotland: Egypt made the brighter start and kept prodding the Scottish defence, but the European side stood firm and opened the scoring from an incredibly difficult opportunity as Struan Walker received the ball on the left side of the Egyptian circle, but the narrow angle and distance from the goal did not phase him as his reverse shot found the far corner of the goal to perfection, giving Scotland the lead. The second quarter was more even in nature but once again it was Scotland who got the goals from penalty corners. The first came through a Jamie Golden drag flick that went over the keeper's head before he could react, and the second through a Struan Walker hit from a 30th minute penalty corner that found the bottom left corner of the goal to perfection. With a 3-goal deficit to overcome in the second half, Egypt started pushing hard early in an attempt to claw back the deficit, but Scotland’s defence continued to stand firm and stopped Egypt from scoring on four penalty corners in the first five minutes. Their work was rewarded on the other end as a counter attack from a saved penalty corner turned into the fourth Scottish goal, coming from the stick of Austin Thomas this time. Egypt finally got on the board midway through the final quarter with Mohamed Ragab scoring from their 11th penalty corner of the game! Egypt added a second through an Ahmed Elganaini penalty stroke, but the deficit overall was too much to overcome as Scotland came away with 4-2 win and the inaugural FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup 2 title. Final Standings: Scotland, Egypt, Poland, USA, Austria, China, Chile, Oman

Sports Bulletin ReportLausanne (Switzerland): Australia’s inexperienced young team rallied from a defeat at the hands of Spain a day earlier to claim an unexpected 4-2 victory over Olympic champions the Netherlands in a FIH Hockey Pro League clash in Sydney on Thursday.(Men’s) Australia 4 – 2 Netherlands: The young Australians started the first quarter far better than their opening match on Wednesday and created a couple of early circle penetrations. The Dutch still exploited some big gaps in the Kookaburras’ structure and had repeated success with long probing passes and runs through the centre, goalkeeper Jed Snowden doing sterling work on four occasions to deny them through the first quarter.Australia tightened their structure in the second period, which relieved a lot of the self-inflicted pressure. The Netherlands still created good opportunities, but the Australians got stronger as the half progressed and Jake Harvie fired them ahead with a 27th-minute penalty stroke for a 1-0 lead at half time.That lead was doubled in the 34th minute when Davis Atkin bagged his first international goal with a bunted shot over the goalkeeper after receiving a long overhead from Corey Weyer. The Dutch grew increasingly frustrated as the hosts bossed the third quarter, and found themselves three down when Copper Burns scored his first international goal in the 43rd minute. Koen Bijen pulled one back with a deflection from a recycled penalty corner and it was 3-1 heading into the final period.Tjep Hoedemakers snatched a rebound goal for the Dutch in the 47th minute, but Ky Willott immediately restored the Kookaburras’ two-goal cushion with a tap-in at the right post. The contest played out at a frenetic pace as the Dutch pushed hard for a result, but there were no further goals.(Women’s) Australia 2 – 2 China (SO: 2 – 1): Hosts Australia played out a 2-2 draw with China before going on to clinch the shootout 2-1.In a rematch of the Olympic quarterfinal, which China won, it was the Australians who dominated the first quarter, creating circle entries and half chances, without much success, however. The Hockeyroos were eventually rewarded when Claire Colwill fired them ahead with a penalty stroke in the dying seconds of the quarter.Australia struck again in the 16th minute, when Courtney Schonell got a good deflection from open play. China gradually established some control through the second quarter and made it count from their third penalty corner, Jinzhuang Tan beating the defence in the 28th minute.There were some sweeping attacks and dangerous moments in both circles as the space seemed to open up in a goalless third quarter, and the match was in the balance with Australia holding a slender 2-1 lead heading into the final period.The Hockeyroos got on the front foot quickly, but poor execution of 46th and 48th-minute penalty corners kept China in touch. The Chinese then made a brave decision to substitute their goalkeeper with 11 minutes left on the clock. They carried tremendous attacking momentum through the next seven minutes and were rewarded when Tan equalised with her second from a 56th-minute penalty corner. China immediately got Li Xinhuan back in the cage where she saved a penalty corner a minute later.Lucy Sharman had a sharp chance to snatch victory for the Hockeyroos with seconds left on the clock, but her shot slipped wide. With the points shared, Australia went on to clinch the shootout 2-1 for a bonus point.

Sports Bulletin ReportLausanne (Switzerland): As Croatia prepares to host its first-ever FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup in Poreč from 3-9 February, the anticipation and excitement are palpable. This historic moment signifies a turning point for Croatian hockey, providing a platform to showcase the nation’s passion for the sport while inspiring the next generation of players.From Tradition to Opportunity: A New Era for Croatian HockeyDamir Hrupec, President of the Croatian Hockey Federation, reflects on the significance of this milestone: “The history of hockey in Croatia began way back in 1896, with the first field hockey demonstrations. This is a tradition that has been ongoing for 129 years. Hosting an FIH World Cup is a huge opportunity for hockey to grow in new regions and significantly increase the number of players. Our goal is to turn a small country like Croatia into a big hockey nation. We are ready to make this event a spectacular showcase of hockey and ensure we exceed all expectations.”Women’s Team: Dreams Becoming RealityFor the Croatian women’s team, this marks their debut on the global stage. Team captain Martina Petretić shares the pride and anticipation of this monumental event: “Playing at the World Cup is a dream come true for every athlete. It’s even more special that this event is hosted in our nation, and we’re ready to represent Croatia in the best light possible. The experience of playing at this level will be something we cherish forever.”Balancing both indoor and outdoor hockey, Martina believes the versatility gained from playing both formats supplements the team’s overall skills: “Indoor hockey enhances defensive techniques and dribbling in tight spaces, skills that are directly transferable to the outdoor game. The quick, precise decisions required in indoor hockey help us stay sharp in both formats.”Men’s Team: Rising to the ChallengeFor the Croatian men’s team, the pride of wearing their nation’s jersey is amplified by the opportunity to compete at home. Team captain Mario Mucić expresses his excitement: “Representing Croatia at the Indoor Hockey World Cup is a remarkable moment. We’ll give our best to represent our country and make our supporters proud.”Mario, talking about his love for the indoor hockey format, added: “Indoor hockey, with its faster pace and tighter spaces, enhances ball control, quick decision-making, and reaction times. It’s a dynamic game that improves goal-scoring and finishing abilities.”The team’s goal for the tournament is ambitious yet focused: “Our objective is to progress beyond the group stage. We’ll take it one match at a time, giving our all to make the most of each game.”

Islamabad (Sports Desk): The Vantage Black Sticks Women recently completed a two-test series against the United States of America (USA), showcasing a blend of experience and fresh talent on the field.The first match took place on Sunday, January 19th at Lloyd Elsmore Park. In what was a closely contested game, New Zealand emerged as winners with a 1-0 win, thanks to a late goal in the fourth quarter by Holly Pearson.Hannah Gravenall captained the side, leading a team that featured four debutants: Britt Wang, Julia Gluyas (goalkeeper), Mezzy Surridge, and Millie Calder. The match marked an exciting start to the year, as the young team with new talent look to build the next era of Vantage Black Sticks for the women’s side.Match Two took place the following day on Monday, January 20th. This time, Casey Crowley stepped up as captain for her first time, guiding the team alongside debutant Jaimee Eades. The match took a slow start with a tidy deflection just before half time by Paige Blake to secure a 1-0 lead.It was the second half that saw all the action take place with the USA responding with two goals before the Vantage Black Sticks struck back with a drag flick and second deflection by Paige Blake and a goal by Anna Willocks in the final two minutes. The final score in match 2 was 3-2 to the Vantage Black Sticks, sealing the series win over the USA.

Sports Bulletin ReportLausanne (Switzerland): The Malaysian men’s national indoor hockey team is set to make history as they prepare to participate in their first-ever FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup, scheduled to take place shortly in Poreč, Croatia from 3-9 February. This groundbreaking achievement marks a significant milestone for Malaysia as they step onto the global indoor hockey stage.Excitement and Pride: Team captain Mohammad Najmi Farizal Jazlan expressed the team’s excitement and pride in representing Malaysia at this prestigious event. “It is the very first time Malaysia qualified for the Indoor Hockey World Cup. We are very excited to play in the World Cup. It is a new experience for us to play with the top teams in Indoor.”Boosting Hockey Development in Malaysia: The qualification is not just a milestone but a catalyst for the growth of indoor hockey in Malaysia. Najmi hopes this achievement will spur development and foster more age-group competitions, alongside the already established Malaysia Indoor Hockey League. He envisions Malaysia hosting a future Indoor Hockey World Cup.Bridging Indoor and Outdoor Hockey: All members of the Malaysian team play both indoor and outdoor hockey, which Najmi believes enhances their focus, accuracy, and quick thinking in both formats. He highlights the speed, space, and unique technical skills as the aspects he loves most about indoor hockey.Learning from International Experience: The team brings valuable lessons from international experiences, such as the FIH Hockey5s World Cup in Oman, where they won the silver medal in the inaugural edition. They recognise that there are major differences between the two formats, but the honour of representing the nation on a global stage and the aim of winning silverware still remain intact. Najmi and his team view participation in the Indoor Hockey World Cup as a significant honor and a chance to learn and compete against the world’s best. They also hope to play a future edition of the event on home turf.Aiming High: Despite being newcomers, Malaysia is entering the tournament with determination and ambition. “Our objective in this Indoor World Cup is to gain experience playing with the top teams and players. Even though it is our first time at the event, we are going to compete and give our very best to achieve the highest best result.”A Call to Fans: Najmi concludes with a heartfelt message to Malaysian fans: “I hope Malaysians will support our team through ups and downs. We will give our best in our first time in the Indoor Hockey World Cup. With this momentous debut, the Malaysian team is ready to showcase their talent and passion on the international stage, hoping to inspire a new era for indoor hockey in their country.

Sports Bulletin ReportLausanne (Switzerland): The International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced on Tuesday that the inaugural edition of the FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2 for men would be staged in Muscat, Oman from February 17 to 23, 2025.This new event will give the opportunity for 8 more nations – ie, the national teams ranked after those involved in the FIH Hockey Pro League and the FIH Hockey Nations Cup - to play an intercontinental FIH tournament, and compete for the chance to be promoted into the 2026 FIH Nations Cup. The creation of this new event follows one of the key focus areas of the FIH Empowerment and Engagement strategy - namely “More opportunities to compete” - that aims at facilitating the accessibility of National Associations to FIH tournaments.Austria, Chile, China, Egypt, Oman, Poland, Scotland, and United States of America (USA) will participate in the Nations Cup 2025. "Hosting the inaugural FIH Nations Cup 2 in Oman is both an honor and a testament to our commitment to advancing hockey in the region. We are thrilled to welcome teams and fans from around the world to experience Oman’s passion for this sport. This tournament marks a significant milestone for Hockey Oman, and we look forward to an exciting display of talent and sportsmanship on our home ground", said Hockey Oman Chairman Dr. Marwan Juma Al Juma.Commenting on the announcement, FIH President Tayyab Ikram said: “Oman is the nation of the “firsts”! Hosting very successfully the inaugural FIH Hockey5s World Cup and now the very first FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2! The global hockey community could witness the wonderful hospitality of our Omani hosts during our FIH Congress, and all the participating teams can expect the same. It will be an amazing event in a magnificent hockey venue. Thank you, Oman!”