Pakistan’s Under-21 hockey team continued its impressive run in the Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia, defeating Canada 6-2 to secure its second consecutive victory in the tournament. Pakistan had earlier opened its campaign with a convincing 8-3 win over China, making it two victories in as many matches.
The Green Shirts will now face hosts Malaysia in their third match of the tournament on October 21, aiming to maintain their winning momentum. Pakistan Under-21 hockey team head coach Syed Sameer has expressed confidence in his squad’s ability to compete for the title at the Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia, saying the players have arrived with a positive mindset and strong determination.
Sameer said Pakistan had retained most of the players who represented the country in last month’s Junior Asia Cup (JAC) in China, where the team secured third place and qualified for next year’s Junior World Cup.
He added that Pakistan would rely on the attacking strength of Rana Waleed and Sami Rana Abdul, who scored a combined 17 goals during the Junior Asia Cup.
“We hope to surprise teams like Malaysia, Japan and China. We are not sure about Canada’s strength,” Sameer said.
Identifying hosts Malaysia as Pakistan’s main challengers for the title, the coach recalled that Pakistan had defeated Malaysia twice during the Junior Asia Cup — 5-2 in the group stage and 4-2 in the bronze-medal match.
Sameer said those victories had boosted Pakistan’s confidence but cautioned that Malaysia could pose a tougher challenge on home turf, backed by their supporters. “Malaysia will be our main rivals. However, we beat them twice during the Junior Asia Cup, so we are confident here,” he said.
He added that Pakistan would approach the tournament one match at a time, stressing the importance of making a strong start to their campaign. Pakistan are aiming to build on their recent success and maintain their momentum as they prepare to face strong opposition in the tournament.