Pakistan’s under-18 hockey team extended its impressive unbeaten streak at the U-18 Hockey Asia Cup on Tuesday, securing a commanding 6-3 victory over Bangladesh in an electrifying Group A encounter at the Dazhou National Hockey Training Centre.
The first half was a high-octane affair, featuring end-to-end action where both teams exchanged aggressive goals, resulting in a 3-3 deadlock by halftime. However, the second half was entirely dominated by Pakistan. The Green Shirts took firm control, unleashing a flurry of attacks that saw them net three unanswered goals while effectively shutting down Bangladesh’s offensive efforts. The match concluded with a definitive 6-3 scoreline in Pakistan’s favor.
For Pakistan, Abdullah Awan and Hanzala Ali were the top scorers, each contributing two goals. Atif Ali and Asim also found the back of the net with one goal apiece.
With this latest triumph, Pakistan now sits atop Group A with a perfect record of nine points from three matches. The team has demonstrated formidable form throughout the tournament, scoring a remarkable total of 23 goals while conceding only three so far. Earlier in the competition, Pakistan delivered two emphatic performances, crushing Hong Kong with an 8-0 victory and outclassing Sri Lanka with another 9-0 triumph.
The U18 Hockey Asia Cup features teams from 11 nations, including China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, and Kazakhstan. Pakistan is placed in Pool A alongside China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Hong Kong, while Pool B comprises Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Chinese Taipei.
Squad: Mohammad Usman, Atif Ali, Asam Junaid, Mohammad Abdullah Farooq, Abdullah Awan, Zubair Lateef, Mohammad Yaseen, Mohammad Ali Taj, Ghulam Mustafa, Ali Hamza, Ali Hamzad, Aamir Sohail, Adeel Afzal, Mohammad Zaman, Mohammad Hussain, Mohammad Shaheer, Hasan Shahbaz, Yaseen Jamshaid.
Team Management: Shafqat Malik (Manager), Mukhtar Ahmed, Touseeq Ahmed, Masood-ur-Rahman (Coaches).
