Green shirts lead points table in Asia Hockey5s World cup qualifiers
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With four victories and a tied match, the Green Shirts have seized the leading position on the points table, accumulating 13 points after their game against Malaysia resulted in a 5-5 draw. In a previous match, Pakistan triumphed over Oman with a score of 9-4 during the ongoing Asia Hockey5s World Cup Qualifiers.
Pakistan now occupies the top rank on the points table, followed by India in second place with 12 points and Malaysia in third with 10 points. In the match versus Malaysia, Rana Abdul Waheed netted three goals, while Mohammad Murtaza and Abdul Rehman each contributed one goal for the Green Shirts. Malaysia's scores included a brace by Din Muhammad, and Mat Syarman, Anuwar Akhimullah, and Ishak Arif each added one goal.
Malaysia secured the third spot on the points table, while Bangladesh, Oman, and Japan clinched the fourth, fifth, and sixth positions, respectively. The day before, the Green Shirts defeated rivals India and Bangladesh with scores of 5-4 and 15-6.
The Pakistani team is led by head coach Olympian Wasim Feroze and managed by Major Muhammad Shahnawaz Khan. Among the teams, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Japan, Oman, and Bangladesh are placed in the Elite pool, while Hong Kong China, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, and Iran compete in the Challenger pool.
Following the completion of pool matches, the initial crossover games will feature the bottom two teams from the elite pool against the top two teams from the challenger pool. Winners from these matches will advance to the second phase of crossover games against the third and fourth-placed teams from the elite pool. The top two finishers from the elite pool will face the winners of the second crossovers in the semi-finals.
The bronze medal match will include the losing semi-finalists, with the winner, along with the two finalists, earning qualification for the inaugural FIH Hockey5s World Cup in Oman 2024.
Pakistan's lineup consists of Abdullah Ishtiaq Khan, Ali Raza, Muhammad Abdullah, Ehtsham Aslam, Muhammad Murtaza Yaqoob, Arshad Liaquat, Zakriya Hayat, Rana Abdul Waheed Ashraf, Abdul Rehman, and Abdul Wahab.
