Sufiyan Khan once again starred with a sensational hat-trick as Pakistan secured a dominant 4-1 victory over Malaysia on Sunday, advancing to the semifinals of the 2024 Men’s Junior Hockey Asia Cup. The win also confirmed Pakistan’s qualification for next year’s Junior Hockey World Cup in India.
Facing an unbeaten Malaysian side in a high-stakes Group B clash, Pakistan delivered a clinical performance. Sufiyan Khan opened the scoring just three minutes into the match, giving Pakistan a 1-0 lead by the end of the first quarter.
Malaysia equalized in the 23rd minute through Adam Ashraf Johari, but Pakistan responded emphatically. Sufiyan struck again in the 35th minute to reclaim the lead, and Abdul Qayyum extended it to 3-1 in the final quarter.
Just before the final whistle, Sufiyan completed his hat-trick, sealing Pakistan’s comprehensive victory.
The win marked Pakistan’s fourth consecutive triumph in the tournament, having previously defeated China, Bangladesh, and Oman with commanding performances. With 12 points from four matches, Pakistan finished the group stage at the top of Group B.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pakistan | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 3 | +21 | 12 | Semi-finals and 2025 Junior World Cup |
| 2 | Malaysia | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 9 | +8 | 7 | |
| 3 | Bangladesh | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 10 | −4 | 5 | |
| 4 | China | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 15 | −3 | 4 | |
| 5 | Oman (H) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 26 | −22 | 0 |
With their eyes set on the Junior Asia Cup trophy, Pakistan now heads into the semifinals as one of the tournament favorites alongside arch-rivals India.