Japan clinched victory over Pakistan in the final of Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2024 in Malaysia through a gripping penalty shootout, following a thrilling 2-2 draw at the conclusion of regular play on Saturday.
The Japanese team, known as the Samurais, triumphed over the green shirts with a scoreline of 4-2 in the shootout.
Earlier, the green shirts held New Zealand to a thrilling 1-1 draw in their last league match on Friday to remain unbeaten in the tournament.
Pakistan remained unbeaten during the round-robin stage of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup with three wins and two draws in five matches. They only dropped points in matches against Japan and New Zealand.
Read more: Pakistan hold New Zealand to draw in Azlan Shah clash
Pakistan’s performance in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup should be a morale booster for the team especially because the team has to feature in the FIH Nations Cup in Gniezno, Poland, from May 31 to June 9 as well. The Nations Cup is important because the winning team will have the opportunity to play in the FIH Hockey Pro League for the 2024-25 season.
More to follow…
