BREAKING NEWS
KP CM Sohail Afridi rejects governor’s rule threats • Nadia Khan faces criticism after questioning Preshay Adnan over gym attire • OpenAI scraps new AI model launch over safety concerns • Men face higher cancer rates than women, study finds • Pakistan earn first point in FIFA ASEAN Cup after 2-2 draw with Philippines • Tax return filing deadline tomorrow as late-filer category set to end • Floods and heavy rains kill 23 in Thailand • Ahsan Bhoon sends Rs5b defamation notice to Capt (R) Safdar • Salman Khan speaks out against AI-generated deepfake videos • Insomnia linked to 26% higher stroke risk, study finds • Google Chrome introduces feature to preserve tab position across devices • Four militants killed in security operation in DI Khan • Clashes erupt over partial demolition of 600-year-old Ujjain mosque in India • Pakistan thrash Oman 7-2, set up Asian Games semifinal against India • Pakistan plans $500mn ADB loan for pension reforms
Advertise with us >

hockey world cup

Pakistan beat Japan 4-3 for first Hockey World Cup win in 16 years

by
Pakistan

Pakistan secured its first Hockey World Cup victory in 16 years on Saturday, defeating Japan 4-3 in a classification match in the Netherlands.

The win came in the ninth-to-16th place classification round after Pakistan was eliminated from contention for the World Cup title following three matches without a victory in the opening stage.

Pakistan had fallen two goals behind at one point but produced a strong comeback to seal the win. Moin Shakeel captained the side in place of Abubakar, who missed the match because of an injury.

Rana Waheed scored twice for Pakistan, while Hammaduddin and Hannan Shahid scored one goal each.

The victory marked Pakistan’s first win at the ongoing World Cup and ended a 6,017-day wait for a World Cup victory. Pakistan’s previous World Cup win came in 2010, when it defeated Spain 2-1.

Pakistan, a four-time world champion, failed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup. It went winless at the 2018 tournament and failed to qualify for the 2023 edition before returning to the World Cup in 2026 after an eight-year absence.

Pakistan qualify for hockey world cup after eight years

by
Pakistan qualify for

The Pakistan men’s national field hockey team has qualified for the Hockey World Cup after eight years by defeating Japan men’s national field hockey team 4–3 in a thrilling semifinal of the qualifiers being played in Egypt.

Pakistan secured the dramatic victory thanks to goalkeeper Ali Raza, who made a crucial save by stopping a penalty stroke late in the match.

Japan was awarded the penalty stroke just four minutes before the end of the match, but Ali Raza’s decisive save helped Pakistan hold on to the lead and secure an important win.

For Pakistan, goals were scored by Sufyan Khan, Abu Muhammad, Muhammad Imad and Afraz.

By winning the semifinal of the qualifiers, Pakistan have booked their place in the Hockey World Cup after an eight-year gap. The national team last played in the tournament in 2018 and failed to qualify for the most recent edition.

The Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026 is scheduled to take place from August 14 to August 30, 2026, and will be jointly hosted by Belgium and Netherlands