Malaysian national junior hockey team, Young Tigers, endured a tough start to their Sultan of Johor Cup (SOJC) 2025 campaign after falling 2–7 to a dominant Pakistan side in their opening match at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium tonight.
Pakistan stamped their authority early, opening the scoring in just the third minute through a penalty corner strike by Sufyan Khan.
Malaysia responded strongly in the 20th minute when Ammar Qusyairi Abd Halim converted a penalty corner to level the score at 1–1, giving the home crowd a brief moment of hope. However, Pakistan immediately regained the lead just a minute later as Sufyan struck again to make it 2–1.
The visitors continued their aggressive play, with captain Hannan Shahid adding a field goal in the 30th minute to extend the lead to 3–1.
Pakistan’s relentless penalty corner efficiency proved decisive — Khan Nadeem scored in the 32nd minute, followed by another successful flick from Sufyan Khan in the 34th minute, completing his hat-trick and pushing Pakistan ahead 5–1.
Malaysia pulled one back through Azimuddin Shakir Kamaruddin, who netted from a penalty corner just a minute later, reducing the deficit to 5–2 before halftime.
However, Pakistan’s experience and tactical sharpness shone through in the second half. Nadeem struck again in the 44th minute, once more from a penalty corner, before Fayyaz Hamza sealed the victory with a field goal in the 52nd minute, completing the 7–2 rout.
The Young Tigers will next face Australia tomorrow at 6:15 PM, as they look to bounce back and regain momentum in front of their home supporters.
Credit Photo : Hokita
