MALAYSIA: Pakistan’s national hockey team arrived in Malaysia on Sunday to participate in the prestigious FIH Hockey Nations Cup, scheduled to take place from June 15 to June 21.
The green shirts will kick off their campaign on June 15 with a highly anticipated match against Malaysia. Following this, Pakistan will take on Japan on June 16 and New Zealand on June 18.
Placed in Pool B, Pakistan faces tough competition from hosts Malaysia, Japan and New Zealand.
The tournament’s format includes preliminary pool matches, with the top teams advancing to the semi-finals on June 20 and the final and bronze medal matches scheduled for June 21.
Leading the 20-member Pakistan squad is Ammad Butt, who will captain the team with support from vice-captain Rana Waheed.
The eight participating teams are split into two pools for the preliminary rounds, Pool A consists of France, Korea, South Africa, and Wales, while Pool B features Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand and Pakistan.
All teams will be in action on the opening day, with the tournament progressing to classification matches and medal rounds as the week unfolds.
The FIH Hockey Nations Cup serves as a crucial stepping stone for teams aiming to qualify for the elite FIH Hockey Pro League. The winner of this tournament will earn promotion to the 2025–26 Pro League season.
Pakistan squad for Nations Cup:
Ammad Butt (captain), Rana Waheed (vice captain), Muneer-ur-Rehman, Abdullah Ishtiaq, Mohammad Abdullah, Mohammad Sufyan Khan, Abdul Manan, Hamad Anjum, Arshad Liaquat, Moeen Shakeel, Zakrya Hayat, Ghazanfar Ali, Salman Razaq, Junaid Manzoor, Afraz Khan, Abdul Rehman, Ahmed Nadeem and Mohibullah.
