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- Pakistan secured semifinal spot against Germany with 3-3 draw in last group match against Malaysia
- Earlier on Tuesday, Pakistan secured their first win in the Paris Olympics Qualifiers by defeating China 2-0
ISLAMABAD: The first semifinal of the Paris Olympics Hockey Qualifiers will be played between Pakistan and Germany in Oman on Saturday, Radio Pakistan reported, with Pakistan one win away from making it through to the Paris Olympics.
Pakistan secured a spot in the semifinals of the qualifiers after their last group match against Malaysia concluded in a 3-3 draw on Thursday.
“Pakistan are now just one victory away from securing qualification for the Paris Olympics, as the top three teams from the qualifiers will secure the spot,” Radio Pakistan reported.
Paris will host the XXXIII Olympic Summer Games from July 26 to August 11 this year.
Pakistan cruised into the final four of the qualifiers on the basis of a better goal average than China. In an earlier group match, Great Britain emerged victorious with a 6-0 score against China, creating an opportunity for Pakistan to reach the final four even if their upcoming game against Malaysia concluded in a draw.
Pakistan will now play Germany in the semifinal on January 20 while Great Britain will face New Zealand in the other semifinal.
Earlier on Tuesday, Pakistan secured their first win in the Paris Olympics Qualifiers by defeating China 2-0.
Pakistan had lost their first match against England on Monday by 6-1. Abdul Hanan Shahid managed to score the lone goal for Pakistan, while England demonstrated with superior strategy and execution.
Last year, the International Hockey Federation stripped Pakistan of hosting rights for the Olympic Qualifier tournament due to “non-cooperation and interference in the PHF’s affairs” by the government, marking a setback for the South Asian country which was once counted among the global powerhouses of the sport.
According to the FIH, China, Spain and Pakistan were supposed to host the qualifiers from January 13 to 21. The matches in Pakistan were scheduled to be held in Lahore.
Field hockey, Pakistan’s national sport, once propelled the country to Olympic gold and global glory, but the game has waned in popularity and participation over the past two decades.
According to the latest rankings released by the IHF last August, Pakistan is ranked at number 15 in the world in field hockey.