Greenshirts jump to 5th in hockey rankings

Pakistan’s Champions Trophy bronze helped team jump from 9th.

Pakistan were the most improved nation in the top ten, jumping four positions from ninth to fifth in the latest World Hockey Rankings released by the International Hockey Federation yesterday. 

The Greenshirts grabbed bronze at the Champions Trophy after defeating India 3-2 in the play-off on Sunday. Pakistan had lost to the Netherlands in the semi-final a day earlier after having beaten Germany to get into the last-four.

The Indians failed to make it to the top ten in the rankings and were positioned at 11th. The top four positions remained unchanged with Olympic gold-medallists Germany still holding the number one spot followed by Champions Trophy winners Australia (second), Olympic and Champions Trophy silver medallists the Netherlands (third) and England (fourth).

Published in The Express Tribune, December 12^th, 2012.