Babar, Shaheen laud hockey team after defeat in final
Pakistan cricket team players Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi spoke in favour of the Pakistan hockey team after they came close to lifting the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup on Saturday.
Pakistan lost to Japan 4-1 on a penalty shootout after the match in normal time ended 2-2 as the Japanese goalkeeper made two excellent saves in the shootout which ended the Green Shirts’ hopes of lifting the title.
Despite a defeat in the final, the entire country expressed their support for the hockey team which remained unbeaten throughout the tournament and was one of the best teams all along.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, after the match, Pakistan’s white-ball captain Babar Azam urged the nation to support our hockey stars and said that they would win many trophies.
“Incredibly proud of our Hockey team and their achievements despite limited resources. Let's support these superstars and, in sha Allah, they will win many trophies. Pakistani Hockey is on the rise,” Babar wrote on X.
Meanwhile, Shaheen also wrote that the hockey team deserves all the praise for remaining unbeaten till the final and fighting till the end against Japan.
“Unbeaten all through and fighting till the last minute in the final deserves all the support and praise. We all are so proud of our Hockey team for their efforts. Let's work for Pakistan sports together,” Shaheen posted on X.
Remember, the final had to be decided on a shootout after both teams scored two goals apiece at the end of full time. Japan took the lead in the shootout courtesy of Ryoma Ooka while his teammates continued the momentum, scoring the other three.
Meanwhile, Pakistan missed the first two whereas Ammad Butt netted the ball in the third stroke.
Japan staged a comeback to level the score 2-2 after Pakistan scored two goals in the third quarter. Kazumasa Matsumoto produced a second goal in the 47th minute.
In the third quarter, Pakistan came from behind as Ajaz Ahmed netted the goal in the 34th minute while Abdul Rehman scored in the 37th minute.
Seren Tanaka scored the first goal for Japan at the 12th-minute mark and gained a lead. It is worth mentioning that Pakistan qualified for the final for the first time in 13 years.
The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2024 saw the conclusion of round matches on Friday with Japan and Pakistan finishing as the top two teams on the points table as both remained unbeaten throughout the roundrobin matches.