Hockey team stays alive by skin of their teeth

Greenshirts qualify for quarter-finals despite three lop-sided defeats

KARACHI: Pakistan's national hockey team made their way into the quarter-finals of the Hockey World League Semi-finals by finishing fourth in their group B, just ahead of Scotland.

Despite losing their first three matches — to Netherlands 4-0, to Canada 6-0 and to India 7-1 — by a combined scoreline of 17-1, Pakistan managed to win their last group match against Scotland 3-1, which netted them three points and a place in the next round.

Netherlands, by winning all four of their fixtures, lead the table with 12 points to their name, followed by India (three wins, nine points), Canada (four points via a win and a draw), and lastly, Pakistan. Scotland, meanwhile, lost three and drew just one of their matches to finish at the bottom of the group and crash out.

Elsewhere in Group A, Argentina and England had three wins and a draw each, both finishing with 10 points, although Argentina occupies the top spot due to their better goal difference.

Malaysia finished third with two wins, two defeats and six points to their name, followed by China in fourth place, thanks to their solitary win, whereas rock-bottom South Korea exited the tournament.

The quarter-finals will be held on Thursday (June 22), with Pakistan facing Group A toppers Argentina.

“We have not been able to do well in the tournament," forward Arslan Qadir told The Express Tribune. "We have made lots of mistakes and gave many chances to other teams, which they have availed. But we did try our best to overcome our mistakes, and some improvement was evident in the last game.”

Qadir admitted that the young and inexperienced Pakistan side has got a bit overwhelmed by the occasion. “We have to boost the morale of our young players," he said. "They, at times, have lacked confidence, and that is where they make mistakes. We have, however, done some practice and are confident that a better team will be seen on Thursday and we will also qualify for the world cup."

Head coach Khwaja Junaid also remains confident of securing a berth for the big tournament. “We have a good chance of reaching the next stage, if the players respond to our coaching," he said. "We have done video analysis and then tried to rectify our mistakes on the field. The boys are in good shape so we are hoping to reach the next stage.”

If Pakistan defeat Argentina, and India beat Malaysia, the two arch-rivals will again face each other on June 24 in the semi-finals.