DAZHOU, China: Pakistan stormed into the semi-finals of the Under-18 Men’s Asia Cup with a commanding 6-3 victory over Bangladesh in a Group A encounter at the Dazhou National Hockey Training Centre on Tuesday.
The win secured Pakistan’s top position in Group A with a perfect record of three wins from three matches, putting them in a commanding position ahead of their final pool match against host nation China on July 9.
Pakistan started strong but were matched goal for goal by Bangladesh in a fiercely contested first half, which ended in a 3-3 deadlock.
However, the Green Shirts dominated the second half, netting three unanswered goals and shutting out Bangladesh’s attack with disciplined defending and swift counter-attacks.
Abdullah Awan and Hanzala Ali were the standout performers for Pakistan, scoring two goals each. Atif Ali and Asim Haider also contributed with one goal apiece, capping off a clinical attacking display.
For Bangladesh, Ismail Hussain struck twice, while Din Islam added a third, but their efforts were not enough to contain a relentless Pakistani side.
With this victory, Pakistan have now scored 23 goals in the tournament while conceding only three, underlining their superiority in the group stage. Earlier, they thrashed Hong Kong 8-0 and routed Sri Lanka 9-0 in one-sided contests.
The Under-18 Asia Cup features 11 teams divided into two groups. Pakistan are in Pool A alongside China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Hong Kong.
Pool B consists of Japan, Malaysia, Chinese Taipei, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Indonesia.
The Pakistani squad has shown consistent form and discipline throughout the tournament. The semi-final qualification also comes as a morale booster for the country’s hockey fraternity, which is striving to revive the sport’s lost glory.
Last month, the senior national hockey team reached the final of the Nations Hockey Cup after an 11-year gap.
Team captain Imad Butt later posted a heartfelt message on social media, stating, “We have not lost — we have won hearts. We have revived hockey.”
Pakistan Squad
Mohammad Usman, Atif Ali, Asam Junaid, Mohammad Abdullah Farooq, Abdullah Awan, Zubair Lateef, Mohammad Yaseen, Mohammad Ali Taj, Ghulam Mustafa, Ali Hamza, Ali Hamzad, Aamir Sohail, Adeel Afzal, Mohammad Zaman, Mohammad Hussain, Mohammad Shaheer, Hasan Shahbaz, Yaseen Jamshaid.
