Pakistan and Japan post dominant victories in opening day of Under-21 Sultan of Johor Cup

The opening matches of the Under-21 Sultan of Johor Cup saw Pakistan and Japan deliver commanding displays at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium in Johor. Pakistan trailed China 3-1 after the first 25 minutes but surged ahead, ultimately winning 8-3 thanks to goals from Ullah Saif, Muhammad Farooq, Rana Waleed Sami, Fayyaz Hamza, Ghulam Mustafa, Muhammad Usman and a double from Asam Haider. Japan, fresh from a fifth-place finish at the Junior Asia Cup, dominated Canada 8-1, with a scoring line that included Shota Hanayama, Yuto Higuchi, Seia Yamada, Ninomiya Rei, Chihiro Furusawa, Shogo Sasaki, Matsuki Mori and Ryosuke Shinohara.

Coach Yoshihiro Anai praised his squad’s efficiency and said they aim to improve further before meeting hosts Malaysia on Tuesday. The early results suggest both nations are serious title challengers in the competition.