Pakistan’s junior hockey team opened its Pakistan Sultan of Johor Cup 2026 campaign in spectacular fashion on October 17, thrashing China 8-3 at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, in a match that swung from a 3-1 deficit into a seven-goal rout.
The under-21 side fell behind early in its Pakistan Sultan of Johor Cup 2026 opener but responded with seven unanswered goals, announcing itself as a genuine title contender at the 14th edition of the prestigious junior tournament. The win was sealed by a brace from Haider Asim and goals from six other players, a spread of scoring that underlines the depth in the squad.
Pakistan Sultan of Johor Cup 2026: How the 8-3 Win Unfolded
Pakistan struck first in the 13th minute through Saifullah, only for China to hit back hard. Liang Haolin scored twice in the 15th and 18th minutes, and Wang Yubo added a third from a penalty corner in the 25th minute, leaving Pakistan trailing 3-1 and facing an early setback.
What followed was a relentless response. Farooq Muhammad pulled one back from a penalty corner in the 30th minute, Rana Waleed levelled with a field goal in the 37th, and Hamza Fayyaz put Pakistan ahead two minutes later. Mustafa Ghulam made it 5-3 in the 43rd minute before Usman Muhammad converted another penalty corner a minute later to stretch the lead.
Haider Asim completed the rout with two late goals, converting a penalty stroke in the 55th minute and a penalty corner in the 57th, to seal an emphatic 8-3 victory. The match was officiated by umpires Yeung Chor Ming of Hong Kong and Yuhei Kozakai of Japan.
Seven Unanswered Goals: The Comeback Story
The defining feature of the win was the response to adversity. Conceding three goals in ten minutes could have broken a young side, but Pakistan’s juniors regrouped and scored seven times without reply across the remaining 45 minutes. As fieldhockey.com put it, it was a “remarkable comeback” to open the campaign.
The set-piece execution stood out at the Pakistan Sultan of Johor Cup 2026. Three of Pakistan’s eight goals came from penalty corners, with Farooq Muhammad, Usman Muhammad and Haider Asim all converting, while Haider Asim also kept his nerve from the penalty spot. That kind of short-corner sharpness is often the difference at junior tournaments, and it gives head coach Syed Hussain a reliable weapon for the matches ahead.
The spread of scorers will please the coaching staff as much as the scoreline. Seven different players found the net, which means opponents cannot simply mark one danger man out of the game.
A Strong Start to the Title Hunt
The 2026 edition is the 14th Sultan of Johor Cup, an international men’s under-21 tournament hosted by Malaysia at the 5,000-capacity Taman Daya Hockey Stadium from October 17 to 24. Only five nations are competing this year, the lowest participation in the tournament’s history: hosts Malaysia, Pakistan, China, Japan and Canada, with defending champions Australia absent.
Pakistan’s best finish at the event remains the runners-up spot from 2016, and the team arrived at the Pakistan Sultan of Johor Cup 2026 targeting a first title. The campaign could hardly have started better. Pakistan followed the China win with a 6-2 victory over Canada on October 18, moving to the top of the round-robin table with six points from two matches, according to FIH tournament records. Haider Asim’s brace against China also made him the tournament’s early top scorer.
Pakistan Hockey Federation president Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani congratulated the players, team officials and coaching staff on the victory. In a statement, he praised the team’s fighting spirit and unity, describing the performance as “encouraging for the future of Pakistan hockey”, and expressed hope that the junior side would maintain the same momentum in its upcoming matches.
The win continues a busy and encouraging stretch for Pakistan hockey. The Pakistan Hockey League launched on October 14 with the stated aim of reviving the national sport, the senior side claimed Asian Games bronze with a 5-3 comeback win over Korea, and Pakistan is set to host Canada for a bilateral hockey series in February 2027. The juniors now continue their Pakistan Sultan of Johor Cup 2026 campaign against Malaysia on October 21 and Japan on October 23, with the final scheduled for October 24.
Photo: Zee News, file photo of a field hockey match (not the Johor Cup game)
Sources
- The Express Tribune (via 10BM News): Pakistan whip China in Johor Cup
- Wikipedia: 2026 Sultan of Johor Cup (FIH-sourced match records)
- fieldhockey.com: Pakistan make winning start in Sultan of Johor Cup Hockey
Umar is an engineer by profession and a passionate writer by passion. He has a deep interest in sharing good news related to Pakistan and has been working hard to promote the positive image of his homeland. Umar has written numerous articles on various topics related to Pakistan, such as technology, sports, culture, and economy.