In a landmark moment, the Pakistan ice hockey team made its debut in a major international tournament held in Coral Springs, United States. The young team defeated Brazil after two initial losses.
The tournament, hosted at the Florida Panthers IceDen, is part of the Latin America (LATAM) Cup, which features 52 teams across men’s, women’s, and youth categories, representing 17 countries and territories. This year, Pakistan joined the ranks of nations like Argentina, Armenia, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico.
The formation of Team Pakistan was spearheaded by Donny Khan, a Pakistani-American and senior official in the US National Hockey League (NHL). Khan, with the assistance of Umar Khan, a former NHL intern, successfully assembled a team of 18 players of Pakistani origin from across the United States.
The team faced a narrow defeat against Mexico, losing 6-5 on Thursday, following an 8-3 loss to Chile in their opening match on Wednesday. However, the team demonstrated resilience and determination, bouncing back to secure a 5-2 victory over Brazil on Friday.
Saem Iftikhar, a defenseman for Pakistan and a student at City College in New York, expressed his excitement about representing his heritage. “Three games at City College and now I’m representing my country [Pakistan]. Ever since I got into (ice) hockey, I’ve been dreaming about bringing it back to Pakistan,” Iftikhar shared. He emphasized the significance of seeing players with Pakistani heritage come together, calling it a “dream come true” and the “first step in a much larger operation.”
Donny Khan highlighted that Pakistan’s participation in the LATAM Cup is not a one-time event. “We’re actually in conversations right now with the Winter Sports Federation of Pakistan. We have their official blessing. We’re trying to fully establish ourselves as a club and part of the Sports Federation of Pakistan,” Khan stated. He expressed a long-term vision of inspiring people in Pakistan and eventually competing in the Asia Winter Games and, one day, the Winter Olympics.
Umar Khan reflected on the personal significance of representing Pakistan. “Just being able to represent my father’s country, my grandfather, who came from Lahore in the 1940s, and just to represent them and put it in the game that I love, I was ecstatic about it,” he said.