Pakistan beat Japan 2-1 to register their first win in the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy at the Moqi Hockey Training Base in Hulun Buir, China on Wednesday.
The victory lifts Pakistan to the second spot in the pool with five points. India still lead the pool with three wins and 9 points.
Having drawn the first two matches against Malaysia (2-2) and Korea (2-2), Pakistan’s only chance to stay in the title was to win against Japan.
Knowing the importance of this game, Pakistan played valiantly and took a 2-0 lead in the first two quarters.
After several early attempts, Ahmed Nadeem drew the first blood for Pakistan in the tenth minute of the game, before Sufyan Khan doubled the lead in the 21st minute.
However, Japan bounced back when Japan captain Raiki Fujishima converted a penalty corner in the 28th minute of the game.
Both sides played aggressively in the next two quarters and made several goal attempts. Pakistan made seven circle entries in the third quarter, while Japan made six, but none succeeded.
Pakistan’s defence showed resilience in the final quarter denying Japan’s 12 penalty corners. Japan dominated the ball possession in the fourth quarter, but could not get past Pakistan’s defences.
The Greenshirts will now face the hosts China on Thursday (tomorrow.)
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