HULUNBUIR CITY – In a high-stakes encounter at the ongoing Asian Hockey Champions Trophy 2024, Pakistan suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat against their arch-rivals India at the Moqi Hockey Training Base on Saturday.

The match began on a promising note for Pakistan, who took an early lead just 10 minutes into the first quarter. A well-executed assist from Hannan Shahid found Nadeem perfectly positioned inside the circle. Nadeem, showcasing remarkable composure, slotted the ball into the net, putting the Green Shirts ahead. However, Pakistan’s lead was short-lived as India quickly retaliated by earning a penalty corner.

India’s captain, Harmanpreet Singh, stepped up and delivered a precise drag-flick into the bottom-right corner of the goal, equalizing the score within minutes. The momentum shifted in India’s favor during the second quarter, as Abhishek orchestrated another scoring opportunity for Harmanpreet. This time, Harmanpreet’s clinical finish secured a 2-1 lead for the defending champions.

Throughout the remainder of the match, both teams engaged in fierce competition, launching several aggressive attacks on each other’s goalposts. Despite the intense action and numerous attempts, no further goals were scored. India managed to hold on to their 2-1 advantage until the final whistle, ensuring they topped the group-stage standings with an impressive 15 points. Pakistan, having achieved two wins and two draws prior to this defeat, had already secured their place in the semi-finals.

Earlier in the tournament, Pakistan delivered a commanding performance, decisively defeating China 5-1 to secure their semi-final berth. Abdul Rehman opened the scoring for Pakistan, followed by two goals each from Nadeem Ahmed and Hannan Shahid, dominating the match and leaving China with little chance to recover.

This victory came on the heels of Pakistan’s hard-fought 2-1 win over Japan. In that match, Ahmad Nadeem struck first with an assist from Hannan Shahid. Sufyan Khan doubled Pakistan’s lead with a precise drag-flick in the 21st minute. Although Japan managed to score through Raiki Fujishima, Pakistan’s solid defense held firm, ensuring their victory.

Pakistan’s earlier matches also featured tightly contested draws. Against South Korea, Pakistan had a 2-1 lead in the final moments, thanks to a late double from Shahid Hanan after Hyun Jigwang’s initial goal for Korea. However, Kim Sunghyun’s last-second equalizer denied Pakistan the win.

In their tournament opener against Malaysia, Pakistan controlled much of the game but ultimately had to settle for a 2-2 draw. Sufyan Khan and Nadeem Ahmed each scored for Pakistan, but late strikes from Malaysia, including a last-minute goal from Aiman Rozemi, ensured that the match ended in a stalemate.