Jakarta May 25 2022: Attacking moves brought rewards for dominant Pakistan as they thrashed hosts Indonesia 13-0 in their second pool match of the Asia Hockey Cup 2022 at the GBK Sports Arena, Jakarta on Tuesday.
According to information received here, Pakistan got off to a flying start, scoring four goals in the first quarter to put Indonesia under pressure, who earlier on Tuesday conceded a 9-0 defeat against Japan in their opening match. Pakistan in their inaugural fixture had held defending champions India to a 1-1 draw.
Rizwan Ali put up a splendid show, scoring thrice in the 15th, 25th and 43rd minutes while Ajaz Ahmad (2′, 49′) and Abdul Rana (4′, 17′) were also standout performers. Mubashir Ali (16′), Ali Shan (19′), Ali Ghazanfar (35′), and Moin Shakeel (45′) netted a goal apiece in Pakistan’s huge win.
Pakistan skipper Umar Bhutta said the win against Indonesia had boosted team’s confidence. “Yesterday’s match [against India] was good. We’d the chances to win but could not convert them into goals. We are here with a young side and drew against India. Now, the big win against Indonesia is a morale booster for them,” he added.
He said Pakistan was eying a podium finish in the Asia Cup to earn a spot in the World Cup in India. “Indonesia is a lower-ranked team, and we tried our best to score as many goals as we could against them to better our position,” he added.
The Green Shirts will play their third match against Japan today.
