DAZHOU – Pakistan secured a spot in the semi-finals of the Under-18 Men’s Asia Cup after a commanding 6-3 victory over Bangladesh in their pool match.
Pakistan claimed the top position in their group.
The match, played in the Chinese city of Dazhou, witnessed Pakistan dominate with a strong offensive display.
Abdullah Awan and Ali Hanzala led the scoring for Pakistan with two goals each while Asam Haider and Atif Ali contributed a goal apiece.
On the opposing side, Bangladesh’s Ismail Hussain scored twice, and Din Islam added one goal but their efforts fell short in the face of Pakistan’s aggressive attack.
Pakistan remain unbeaten in the tournament and will face host nation China in their final group-stage match on July 9 (tomorrow)
It may be mentioned here that last month, despite reaching the final of the Nations Hockey Cup after an 11-year gap, the Pakistan national hockey team returned home without any official or government representative to welcome them at the airport.
The team arrived in Pakistan from Malaysia on June 22 but neither government officials nor Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) representatives were present at the airport to receive them.
Instead, the players were warmly greeted by their families and loyal fans who showed up to show their support.
Team captain Imad Butt later took to social media, posting a group photo of the squad and sharing an emotional message. “We have not lost — we have won hearts. We have revived hockey,” he had written.
