Hannan Shahid’s brace guided Pakistan to a 4-2 victory over Japan, securing a spot in the Junior Hockey Asia Cup final. Pakistan will now face arch-rivals India, who triumphed 3-1 over Malaysia in the other semi-final, in the title match set for Wednesday in Oman.
The match saw a back-and-forth battle, with Pakistan taking the lead in the 27th minute through Hannan, only for Japan to equalize soon after with a goal from Tsubasa Tanaka. Pakistan regained the lead in the 38th minute when Basharat Ali converted a penalty corner.
Japan responded in the third quarter, leveling the score once more with Rakusei Yamanaka’s goal. However, Hannan netted again in the 48th minute, and Mohammad Sufyan sealed the win for Pakistan with a goal in the 52nd minute.
