Pakistan Triumphs Over Japan: Secures First Win in Asian Champions Trophy

Unbeaten Pakistan clinched their first victory in the Asian Champions Trophy by defeating Japan 2-1. Ahmad Nadeem and Sufyan Khan scored for Pakistan, while Raiki Fujishima netted one for Japan. This win places Pakistan second in the pool standings with five points, just behind India.

In a thrilling encounter at the Moqi Hockey Training Base in Hulun Buir, Pakistan emerged victorious over Japan with a 2-1 win on Wednesday, marking their first triumph in the Asian Champions Trophy. The goals for Pakistan were delivered by Ahmad Nadeem in the 10th minute and Sufyan Khan in the 21st minute, while Japan's lone goal came from Raiki Fujishima in the 28th minute. With this win, Pakistan now stands second in the pool standings with five points, trailing only behind India.

The match started with Pakistan showcasing their intent to stay ahead, needed a win to remain in title contention despite their unbeaten record with previous draws against Malaysia and Korea. The early moments saw three aggressive attempts by Pakistani strikers to penetrate the Japanese defense, though goalie Takumi Kitagawa stood firm. Defensively, Pakistan was solid, successfully denying Japan a penalty corner opportunity in the sixth minute thanks to a timely video referral.

Pakistan finally broke the deadlock with Ahmad Nadeem's stunning field goal, set up by Ghazanfar Ali and in-form Hannan Shahid. The momentum carried into the second quarter when Sufyan Khan capitalized on a penalty corner in the 21st minute, extending the lead to 2-0. Japan struggled to recover, focusing on ball possession and chance creation but failing to surpass Pakistan's defense until a penalty corner mishap allowed Japanese captain Raiki Fujishima to score in the 28th minute.

Post half-time, both teams intensified their efforts, with multiple circle entries and penalty corners but no conversions. Pakistan's defense was rigorously tested in the final quarter with Japan earning as many as 12 penalty corners, yet failing to equalize. Pakistan's goalie Abdullah Khan was stellar, ensuring the team's lead remained intact. Despite Japan dominating ball possession in the final six minutes, Pakistan's resolute defense clinched the victory and three crucial points.

(With inputs from agencies.)