KEY POINTS
- Pakistan’s men’s team won the Division III gold at the Latam Cup 2025
- The women’s team earned a Division II bronze medal in their debut tournament
CORAL SPRINGS, United States: Pakistan achieved a historic milestone at the Amerigol Latam Cup in Florida, where the men’s team won the Division III championship and the women’s team claimed bronze in Division II during their first-ever appearance at the international ice hockey tournament.
The Latam Cup, hosted in Coral Springs, is designed to promote ice hockey in regions where the sport is still growing.
This year’s tournament features 62 teams and over 1,450 players from 17 countries and territories, according to the National Hockey League (NHL).
Pakistan men, women enjoy 'amazing day' at LATAM Cup https://t.co/LseqFLHzrn
— NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) August 21, 2025
Undefeated champions
Pakistan’s men’s team went undefeated throughout the tournament and capped off their campaign with a dominant 6-1 victory over Peru in the final. The team shared their excitement on Instagram:
“Pakistan men’s Division III champions! Undefeated run capped off with gold. What a tournament!”
This victory marks a dramatic improvement from last year’s Latam Cup, where the team won only one game.
Pakistan creates history 🇵🇰🔥 First-ever ice hockey 🏒 tournament win in the US as they crush Peru 6-1 in the final 🏆👏#icehockey #sports #Pakistansports #ptvsports pic.twitter.com/qFoocrSD97
— PTV Sports (@PTVSp0rts) August 22, 2025
Women’s team earns Bronze in debut
The women’s team, playing in their first international ice hockey tournament, secured a bronze medal despite having just 10–12 players. Coach Mariya Rauf, also a player for Yale University’s NCAA Division I team, proudly held a cricket bat gifted by her players while watching the men celebrate.
“Cricket is our national sport, but I think after this, it just shows [ice] hockey’s growing every single day,” Rauf said.
Kameron Sabir, an Edmonton-based doctor who coached the men’s team, said:
“You can’t do better than this — first gold, first cup. An amazing day for the country and ice hockey.”
The NHL’s Donny Khan, who played a key role in forming the Pakistani teams, said he didn’t expect such success so soon:
“I thought we’d be winning several years from now, not in year two.”
Hope for future
Most teams in the tournament, including Pakistan, come from regions without proper ice rinks. The NHL hopes that these achievements will inspire sports federations and private investors to support the sport by building rinks and facilities.
This year’s Latam Cup continues until August 24, but for Pakistan, history has already been made — and ice hockey dreams are just beginning.
