Pakistan delivered a dominant performance in their second group match of the Under-18 Hockey Asia Cup 2025, crushing Sri Lanka 9-0 in Dazhou, China, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Sunday.
In the Group A fixture, Pakistan started aggressively, netting four goals in the first quarter.
Abdullah Awan opened the scoring in the 4th minute with a field goal, quickly followed by Zubair Latif in the fifth minute.
Asam Haider then converted a penalty corner in the seventh minute, and Atif Ali added another field goal in the 13th minute to make it 4-0.
The second quarter saw two more goals from Asam Haider, both from penalty corners in the 17th and 24th minutes, extending Pakistan’s lead to 6-0 by halftime.
The team maintained their intensity in the third quarter, with Adeel scoring twice in the 35th and 42nd minutes, and Atif Ali completing his brace in the 44th minute.
Pakistan continued their charge in the second quarter with two more goals, both scored by Assam Haider through penalty corners.
In the third quarter, Adeel scored twice in quick succession, while Atif Ali struck again in the 44th minute to complete the 9-0 rout.
Pakistan’s defense remained solid, limiting Sri Lanka to just two penalty corners and no goals.
With back-to-back wins, Pakistan now tops Group A.
Pakistan is scheduled to face Bangladesh on July 8, followed by a clash with host China on July 9.
It’s worth noting that Pakistan had also defeated Hong Kong in their opening match.
Despite arriving in China just hours before their first game due to visa delays and having no time to train, the team managed a resounding 8-goal victory.
Pakistan is striving to revive the glory it once enjoyed in its national game, hockey.
It finished as the runner-up in the Men’s FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2025.
The Green Shirts delivered a stunning performance but were defeated by New Zealand 6-2 in the final.
According to the Asian Hockey Federation, the tournament, running from July 3 to 13, features 11 men’s teams: Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, and Kazakhstan.