The Pakistan hockey team secured an impressive 4-0 victory against New Zealand in the Junior World Cup at Malaysia National Hockey Stadium.
Arshad Liaqat's hat-trick propelled Pakistan, with early goals in the 19th and 30th minutes, followed by Pakistan captain Abdul Hanan Shahid's contribution from a penalty corner. Liaqat completed his hat-trick in the 54th minute, maintaining Pakistan's dominant position until the end.
Their next match is against Belgium on December 9th. Previously, in their opening game against the Netherlands, Pakistan faced a tough challenge. Despite the Netherlands' initial lead with two field goals, Pakistan narrowed the gap with Liaqat's field goal and Sufian Khan's successful penalty, equalizing the score. The Netherlands briefly took the lead again, but Arbaz Ahmed's penalty corner leveled the score, resulting in a 3-3 draw.
Pakistan's Junior World Cup history includes a win in 1979, followed by three consecutive bronze medals and a silver in 1993. However, since 1993, they haven't secured any medals, with their lowest finish being 11th place in the 2021 edition in Bhubaneswar, India.
