China stun Pakistan in Asian Hockey Champions Trophy semis

China secured a place in the final of the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy after a dramatic penalty shootout victory against Pakistan at the Moqi Hockey Training Base in Hulunbuir City, Inner Mongolia, China.

Pakistan struggled in the shootout, missing four consecutive attempts, allowing China to win 2-0. The match itself was tightly contested, with Lu Yuanlin scoring for China in the second quarter and Ahmed Nadeem equalizing for Pakistan in the third, leading to the decisive shootout.

Pakistan had performed well throughout the tournament, remaining unbeaten until their final pool game, which they lost 1-2 to India. Although Pakistan had defeated China earlier in the tournament, they couldn’t replicate the result in the semi-final.

What went wrong?

Former Olympian Rahim Khan, a member of Pakistan’s 1994 World Cup-winning hockey team, emphasized that knockout matches require a different mindset and strategy.

“Pakistan had beaten China earlier in the tournament, but semi-finals require a different approach and strategy. Pakistan played attacking hockey in the third quarter, but the match shouldn’t have reached a situation where it was a 1-1 draw,” Rahim said.

“Pakistan couldn’t score even one goal during the penalty shootout. We have to analyze where we went wrong,” he added.

Despite the setback, Rahim praised the players for their perseverance amid difficult circumstances, highlighting the financial struggles they faced.

Pakistan's hockey player (in green) in action during the China v Pakistan semifinal match of the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy in Hulunbuir, China, on September 16, 2024.(asia_hockey/X)

“When this team was going to China, Pakistan Hockey Federation president Tariq Bugti had said that the Pakistan team was travelling on borrowed tickets. Pakistan Sports Board should have supported Pakistan Hockey Federation regarding their tickets. I have also heard that players are not getting daily allowance on time and if they get it, it is very less. I commend for doing well despite all the struggles,” the 53-year-old said.

The former Olympian also extended support to newly-appointed Pakistan Hockey team coach Tahir Zaman.

“Tahir Zaman is a good and a qualified coach. I have played alongside him as well. They had called him directly for the tournament, so he might have not gotten time to build understanding with the players. That could be another reason for the defeat,” Rahim said.

Tragedy struck during the tournament

Pakistan players were not only facing financial issues but were also dealing with problems at the personal front.

Pakistan’s prolific player, Ghazanfar Ali, who played the semi-final despite missing his father's funeral, showed a tremendous display of patriotism and sacrifice. His father, Mohammad Afzal, was laid to rest on Sunday at his ancestral graveyard in Kasur district.

China’s historic achievement

This is the first time in their history, China has qualified for the final of the Asian Champions Trophy.

The former World Cup winner revealed that former Pakistani players, such as the late Naveed Alam and Khawaja Junaid, had a massive role in coaching the Chinese team during their early development.

Rahim also recounted that China National Hockey team had toured Karachi in 1996.

“They played three matches against a local club in Karachi and couldn’t win a single game. Yet they have now beaten the Pakistan National Hockey team in the Asian Champions Trophy,” Rahim concluded.

China will now face India in the tournament final, while Pakistan will compete against South Korea for third place.