Pakistan’s men’s hockey team ended its Asian Games pool campaign with a commanding 7–2 victory over Oman on Monday, keeping its medal hopes alive after an earlier defeat to Malaysia. Rana Waheed scored a hat-trick, while Sufyan Khan struck twice from penalty corners.
Ghazanfar Ali and Ammad Butt also scored as Pakistan took control of the match. The team had built a 5–1 lead by half-time and maintained its advantage despite two goals from Oman. The win gave Pakistan four victories from five pool matches, following earlier successes against Thailand, Uzbekistan and China. Malaysia handed Pakistan its only pool-stage defeat, winning a close contest 5–4.
The result matters because only the top two sides from each pool advance to the semi-finals. Pakistan’s strong finish keeps the team in contention as the tournament moves towards its decisive matches, scheduled for October 1. The Oman performance showed Pakistan’s ability to create chances from penalty corners as well as open play.
Pakistan had entered the final pool match needing to respond to the Malaysia loss. Seven goals provided that response, but the semi-final will bring a higher-pressure test. Converting chances and limiting defensive mistakes will be central to the team’s bid for an Asian Games medal.
