Green Shirts are set to begin campaign in the Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament today, facing Malaysia at 12:45 PM Pakistan time. The tournament, which runs from September 8 to September 17, is being held in Holy Nabibor, China, and features teams from India, Korea, Malaysia, Japan, and China.
Pakistan is favorite to win the title, having strong history with trophy three times. The team’s performance will be closely watched following their disappointing exit from the semi-finals in the last edition of the tournament. The previous defeat to India on August 9, 2023, marked their first time missing the semi-finals in the tournament’s history. In that match, India dominated with a 4-0 victory, including two goals from Harmanpreet Singh.
The current champions, India, won the title last year with a 4-3 victory over Malaysia in the final. Japan secured the bronze medal by defeating South Korea 5-3. In the recent Olympic hockey competition in Paris, India also claimed the bronze medal by beating Spain 2-1, thanks to a standout performance by captain Harmanpreet Singh.
Pakistan’s fixture schedule includes their first match against Malaysia today, followed by games against Korea on September 9 at 10:30 PM Pakistan time, Japan on September 11 at 10:30 PM Pakistan time, and China on September 12 at 3:00 PM Pakistan time. The team will conclude their group stage with a highly anticipated match against arch-rivals India on September 14 at 12:45 PM Pakistan time.
The Pakistan Hockey Federation has been preparing intensively for the tournament, with training camps held at the Naseer Banda Hockey Stadium in Islamabad. Fans and analysts are eagerly anticipating how Pakistan will perform and whether they can add another title to their illustrious history in the Asian Champions Trophy.
