Moqi [China], September 17 (ANI): Pakistan triumphed with an impressive 5-2 victory over Korea, securing the Bronze Medal at the Hero Asian Champions Trophy. The thrilling match took place at the Moqi Hockey Training Base in the China Daur Ethnic Park on Tuesday. Pakistan’s stellar performance was highlighted by goals from Sufyan Khan (38′, 49′), Hannan Shahid (39′, 54′), and Rooman (45′), while Korea’s Jungjun Lee (16′) and Jihun Yang (40′) found the net for their team.

Despite a rocky start and a disheartening loss to China in the semifinals, Pakistan made significant improvements to their gameplay. This resilience and tactical shift were evident in the second half, as they managed to overturn the initial deficit and clinch a sensational win.

Korea initially took the lead in the 16th minute when Jungjun Lee executed a brilliant tackle, bypassing Pakistan’s Hannan Shahid. Lee then skillfully lofted the ball past Pakistan’s goalie, Ishtiaq Abdullah Khan, putting Korea ahead. This early setback caused Pakistan to lose control over ball possession, allowing Korea to penetrate their circle multiple times in the second quarter. Although Pakistan attempted two shots on goal during this period, they were unable to convert.

The half-time break proved crucial for Pakistan as they returned with renewed determination. Sufyan Khan, honored as Hero of the Match, equalized with a spectacular penalty corner strike in the 38th minute. This revitalized Pakistan’s attack, and just a minute later, Hannan Shahid showcased his tournament form by setting up a remarkable field goal. Although Salman Razzaq’s initial deflection went astray, Hannan finished with finesse, pushing the ball past Korean goalie Jaehan Kim.

Korea responded swiftly with Jihun Yang equalizing through a penalty corner in the 40th minute, making it 2-2. However, Pakistan’s resolve remained unshaken. In the 45th minute, Rooman scored a field goal to restore Pakistan’s lead. As Korea intensified their offensive efforts, Pakistan’s defense tightened, employing effective man-to-man marking to maintain their advantage. Sufyan Khan further extended Pakistan’s lead with a perfectly executed penalty corner in the 49th minute, marking his second goal of the match and bringing his tournament tally to four.

Hannan Shahid sealed the victory with a superb field goal in the 54th minute, assisted by Rana Waheed Ashraf. This goal brought Hannan’s total to six for the tournament. With Muneeb Ur-Rehman replacing Ishtiaq Abdullah Khan as goalie in the final quarter, Pakistan’s defense held firm, preventing any further Korean incursions and securing a well-deserved win.

Reflecting on the match, Hero of the Match Sufyan Khan expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance: “We are very happy to finish the tournament on a good note. Definitely, it would have been great if we had won yesterday’s match against China and played the final against India today, but we made a number of errors. Today, we didn’t start very well but during the half-time break, our Head Coach Tahir Zaman shook us up in his own style and instilled confidence that we can bounce back.”