Pakistan has been able to secure a place in the final of the Junior Asia Hockey Cup. They reached the semi-final by defeating Japan and the final by defeating Malaysia. Now the team will need to win against India to be crowned the champions of the tournament.
Details about the semi-final and final
The tournament is being played in Oman. Pakistan has fared quite well, and the spot in the final proves it. The game’s heroes against Japan were Abdul Wahab and Arbaaz Ahmed, who scored two goals and one goal, respectively.
The semi-final was played against Malaysia, the same country that will host the Junior Hockey World Cup. The first semi-final was between India and Korea. India won the semi-final by 9-1 and booked a ticket to the final. Pakistan won the game 6-2 and also booked a ticket to the final. Abdul Rehman helped the team immensely as he scored three goals while Ahmed Arbaz, Khan Mohammad and Shahid Abdul each scored one. The losing teams would be fighting for the third and fourth position on the table.
Pakistan books a spot in the World Cup
With the win against Japan in the Junior Asia Hockey Cup, Pakistan was also able to qualify for the FIH Junior Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023. The host country has also qualified, as will the other three teams in the last four.
Pakistan not losing the game against Malaysia has led them to qualify for the World Cup directly.
The World Cup is set to be played in the capital of Malaysia. The tournament will go on from 5th December 2023 to 16th December 2023.
Also Read: 75 years of Glorifying the Sports History of Pakistan
The following countries will be playing in the world cup:
Malaysia, India, Pakistan, and South Korea (Asia); Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, and Spain (Europe); Australia and New Zealand (Oceania); South Africa and Egypt (Africa); Argentina, Canada, and Chile (Pan America).
Do other sports need more recognition?
The team would be counting on the support of the fans for the final. However, the sad thing is that most people need more information about the tournament. While Hockey is the national game of Pakistan, it does not quite get the same recognition as cricket. In fact, not any sport receives as much attention as cricket.
There is nothing wrong with a country preferring a particular sport. However, it could be unfair to the players of the other sports such as hockey, football, squash etc. All team members represent the country on a national and international level. More coverage for events such as Junior Asia Hockey Cup would only increase the players’ confidence, and they would want to win more awards for the country.
