Pakistan secured a remarkable 5-2 victory over South Korea, earning a bronze medal at the Hero Asian Champions Trophy held at the Moqi Hockey Training Base, China, on Tuesday.
Sufyan Khan (38′, 49′), Hannan Shahid (39′, 54′), and Rooman (45′) were the stars of Pakistan’s win, while Korea’s goals came from Jungjun Lee (16′) and Jihun Yang (40′).
After a tough semifinal defeat to hosts China, Pakistan came back strong, improving their game significantly in the second half to claim a thrilling victory.
Korea took the lead in the 16th minute when Jungjun Lee maneuvered past Hannan Shahid and sent a lofted shot past Pakistan’s goalkeeper Ishtiaq Abdullah Khan. This early lead put Pakistan under pressure, and they struggled to maintain possession, allowing Korea multiple entries into their circle. Despite creating two chances, Pakistan couldn’t convert them in the second quarter.
However, Pakistan emerged from halftime with renewed determination. Sufyan Khan, named Hero of the Match, equalized in the 38th minute with a superb penalty corner.
Just a minute later, Hannan Shahid, who has been in excellent form throughout the tournament, scored a brilliant field goal to put Pakistan in the lead. Though Korea quickly equalized through Jihun Yang’s penalty corner in the 40th minute, Pakistan responded again, with Rooman scoring a field goal in the 45th minute to regain the lead.
Pakistan’s defense tightened in the final quarter, with structured marking preventing Korea from making any significant progress. Sufyan Khan’s second penalty corner goal of the match in the 49th minute extended Pakistan’s lead, while Hannan Shahid added his sixth goal of the tournament in the 54th minute, securing a commanding 5-2 lead.
Goalkeeper Muneeb Ur-Rehman replaced Ishtiaq in the last quarter, ensuring Pakistan’s defense stayed solid until the final whistle.
Reflecting on the match, Sufyan Khan expressed his delight: “We are very happy to finish the tournament on a positive note. It would have been great to reach the final, but we made too many mistakes in the semifinal. Today, despite a slow start, our coach Tahir Zaman gave us the confidence at halftime to bounce back, and we did.”
Pakistan’s performance in this match marks a strong end to their Asian Champions Trophy campaign.
