Pakistan made an impressive start to their campaign in the FIH Hockey5s World Cup Oman 2024, clinching a convincing 11-5 victory against Nigeria.
Captain Rana Abdul Waheed Ashraf emerged as the star player, leading the team with an outstanding five-goal performance, which included a remarkable hat-trick.
Contributing significantly to the triumph, Abdul Hanan Shahid also secured four goals, showcasing his skills with a hat-trick. Arshad Liaquat and Zikriya Hayat added one goal each to complete the comprehensive win, as per information provided by the Pakistan Hockey Federation.
The jubilation following their initial success, however, was short-lived as Pakistan found themselves facing a formidable challenge in their second match against the Netherlands in Muscat on Sunday.
Ghazanfar Ali initiated the scoring for Pakistan with a breathtaking field goal in the 5th minute. Despite this early lead, the Netherlands, represented by Alexander Schop, managed to level the score in the 10th minute.
Captain Rana Abdul Waheed restored Pakistan’s lead at the start of the second quarter, but Van Der Drift Yannick equalized for the Netherlands in the 20th minute.
Alexander once again found the back of the net a minute later, and although Pakistan’s Abdullah contributed a brilliant field goal in the 23rd minute, goals from Middendorp Lucas (25th minute) and Alexander (30th minute) secured a 5-3 victory for the Netherlands.
In the ongoing tournament, featuring a total of sixteen teams divided into four pools, Pakistan competes in Pool A alongside Nigeria, the Netherlands, and Poland. The upcoming challenge for Pakistan is against Poland in their third pool match, scheduled for Monday.
This event marks a significant milestone as the inaugural Hockey5s World Championship, organized by the International Hockey Federation. The unique format of the game, with five players on each side, adds an extra layer of excitement to the competition.
As the tournament progresses, fans and enthusiasts are encouraged to stay tuned for further updates on Pakistan’s performance in this groundbreaking event. The journey promises to be filled with thrilling moments and intense competition, making the FIH Hockey5s World Cup Oman 2024 a must-watch for all hockey aficionados.