Pakistan’s campaign in the FIH Junior World Cup culminated in a difficult 6-3 defeat against Argentina, resulting in an eighth-place finish. The match witnessed Arbaz Ahmed, a proficient drag-flicker, securing all three goals for Pakistan. Despite a tied score of 2-2 at halftime, Argentina seized the lead by scoring two goals within a five-minute interval during the third quarter at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
Following the match, Pakistan’s Dutch head coach Roelant Oltmans expressed his disappointment with the team’s defensive performance during a press conference. He stressed the necessity for the players to concentrate on enhancing their fundamental skills and ball possession, acknowledging the prior experience of several players with the senior team. Oltmans underscored the importance of improving the team’s fitness levels and creativity, attributing the defensive shortcomings to a work in progress.
The defensive issues have persisted for Pakistan since the quarter-finals, where they suffered a 4-2 loss to France, followed by a 7-5 defeat to Australia in the classification match for the fifth to eighth positions. Despite delivering strong performances against the Netherlands, Belgium, and New Zealand during the group stage, Pakistan’s defense faltered in the knockout matches, resulting in a total of 17 goals conceded. Oltmans also highlighted the absence of first-choice goalkeeper Ali Raza due to injury, further impacting the team’s defensive capability.
In the game against Argentina, the team surged ahead with field goals from Ramiro Infanzon and Bautista Capurro in the third quarter, advancing the score to 4-2. Although Arbaz completed his hat-trick with a goal in the 49th minute, Argentina extended their lead with goals from Ignacio Persoglio and Juan Fernandez in the 50th and 56th minutes, securing the victory.
In other tournament news, Germany clinched the championship title for the seventh time by defeating France with a score of 2-1 in the final match. France took an early lead through Jules Verrier’s field goal, which was swiftly matched by Germany’s Jan Cordes before Liam Holdermann secured the thrilling win with the decisive goal.
The FIH Junior World Cup proved to be a challenging yet enlightening journey for the participating teams, showcasing exemplary skills and intense competition on the field. Despite the setbacks faced by Pakistan, the experience gained from this tournament will undoubtedly serve as a valuable learning opportunity for the future.