Pakistan’s junior hockey team claimed silver in the Sultan of Johor Cup final on Saturday, drawing 2-2 with hosts Malaysia at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium in Johor Bahru before losing the shootout 4-3. The young Green Shirts led 2-0 inside 23 minutes, matched the unbeaten hosts stride for stride for an hour, and were only beaten by the very last attempt of the shootout, equalling the country’s best finish at the under-21 event.
A Two-Goal Lead in the Sultan of Johor Cup final
Pakistan made the start every travelling fan dreams of. Rana Waleed converted a penalty corner in the 19th minute to silence the home crowd, and four minutes later Muhammad Usman finished a field goal move to double the lead. Malaysia, who had won all four of their league matches, suddenly had a final on their hands. Adam Asyraf Johari pulled one back from a penalty corner in the 25th minute, and the rest of the match became a test of Pakistan’s defending. The equaliser finally came in the 49th minute, Dheeressh Gunaseelan scoring from another penalty corner. Pakistan also had to survive the closing minutes a player short, after Ali Hamza was shown a yellow card in the 57th minute with the score level, but they held on to take the final into a shootout.
A Shootout Decided by the Last Attempt
The shootout swung back and forth. Pakistan’s first attempt, from Hamza Fayyaz, was saved, and Malaysia scored theirs to move ahead. Ali Hamza converted for Pakistan, and Rana Waleed scored in his own turn before scoring again from a penalty stroke awarded during Ghulam Mustafa’s attempt, bringing the shootout level at 3-3. It came down to the fifth round: captain Muhammad Ammad could not convert for Pakistan, and Malaysia scored their final attempt to take the shootout 4-3 and lift the trophy on home soil. The margin could hardly have been thinner, one attempt from twenty across a drawn final.
The Draw That Opened the Door
Pakistan’s place in the final was earned the hard way on Friday, in a 2-2 draw with Japan that they could not afford to lose. Japan led twice, through Yamada Seiya in the 18th minute and Nakai Kazuki in the 42nd, and Pakistan answered both times, Hamza Fayyaz scoring from a penalty corner in the 34th minute and Ghulam Mustafa equalising a minute after Japan’s second goal. The draw left both teams on seven points with identical goal differences of plus eight, and Pakistan advanced on goals scored, 18 to Japan’s 16. The campaign had begun in style, with an 8-3 win over China and a 6-2 victory over Canada, before a narrow 3-2 defeat against Malaysia in a match where Adeel scored twice and Pakistan finished with ten men. That league defeat made Saturday’s rematch a chance at revenge as well as a title.
Silver That Points to a Bright Future
The Sultan of Johor Cup final was only Pakistan’s second in the fourteen editions of this tournament. The first came in 2016, when Australia won the final 3-1, and Pakistan have never lifted this trophy. A year ago the juniors finished fourth; this time they went two steps better, scoring 20 goals in five matches against some of Asia’s strongest junior sides. Four players, Rana Waleed, Asam Haider, Hamza Fayyaz and Adeel, finished with three goals each, a spread of scorers that coaches love to see in a young squad. Malaysia needed their home crowd, two penalty corner goals and a perfect final shootout attempt to stop them. For Pakistan hockey, the next steps are already on the calendar, including a home series against Canada in 2027 that will give this generation more top level hockey. Players who can lead a final 2-0 away from home at under-21 level are exactly the players the senior team needs.
Pakistan leave Johor Bahru with silver medals, twenty goals and a Sultan of Johor Cup final performance that suggests the future of the country’s hockey is in very good hands.
Sources
- FIH Tournament Management System, Sultan of Johor Cup 2026 official fixtures and standings
- Pakistan Era, Sultan of Johor Cup 2026 final: Pakistan lose on penalties
- Stadium Astro, Malaysia champions after shoot-out win over Pakistan
- Photo: Michelangelo-36 / Wikimedia Commons (public domain), file photo of Pakistan in action against Argentina
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.