Pakistan secured third place in the Asian Champions Trophy after a thrilling comeback victory against South Korea at the Moqi Hockey Training Base in China on Tuesday.
Despite initially trailing, Pakistan turned the match around, winning 5-2 thanks to two braces from Sufyan Khan and Hannan Shahid. South Korea’s captain, Lee Jungjun, opened the scoring in the second quarter with a penalty corner, leaving Pakistan goalless in the first half.
However, Khan and Shahid quickly brought Pakistan back into the game, scoring two goals in the third quarter within a minute. Although South Korea equalized soon after, Pakistan regained the lead when Haroon scored a crucial fourth goal in the same quarter.
In the fourth quarter, both Khan and Shahid struck again to solidify Pakistan’s win. Sufyan Khan’s two penalty corner goals earned him the Player of the Match award, and he finished the tournament with a total of four goals.
The victory comes after a tough loss for Pakistan in the semifinals, where hosts China defeated them 2-0 in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw in regular time.
China’s goalkeeper, Caiyu Wang, made key saves, denying Pakistan’s hopes of reaching the final. China advanced to their first-ever Asian Champions Trophy final, where they faced India, who later defeated South Korea 4-1 in the other semifinal clash.