Islamabad, Sep 9: Pakistan’s Asian Hockey Champions Trophy campaign is still in jeopardy following two straight 2-2 draws—with Malaysia and South Korea.
In the most recent game, which took place in Hulunbuir, China, Pakistan once more lost a late advantage, frustrating supporters who witnessed South Korea score in the final seconds.
In the first quarter, South Korea took command and led 1-0, but Pakistan rallied swiftly in the fourth quarter. With two well-executed goals, Hanan Shahid altered the tide of the match and gave Pakistan a 2-1 lead.
But just when victory seems imminent, South Korea grabbed an equalizer in the dying seconds, preventing Pakistan from earning a crucial victory in the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy.
Pakistan’s Achilles heel remains their inability to score from multiple scoring opportunities. They missed opportunities in both games, including more than six penalty corners in their opening encounter with Malaysia.
In spite of these shortfalls, skipper Imran Shaikh Butt’s leadership on the field was highlighted when he was selected Player of the Match in the match versus Malaysia.
In other matches of the competition, South Korea and Japan drew a close 5-5, while India crushed China 3-0. The next test for Pakistan is a match against South Korea on September 9, then matches against China and Japan, and a crucial match against rivals India on September 14.
Pakistan now needs to put in a lot of effort to guarantee their berth in the semi-finals, where the best four teams in the tournament will advance via a round-robin system.
