Karachi: After a below par performance in the Asian hockey qualifiers ahead of the Youth Olympics, Pakistan defeated Hong Kong (China) by 10-1 score and will now face Japan in the fifth place play-off in Bangkok, Thailand today (Sunday.
According to information made available here, Murtaza Yaqoob and Mohammad Waqas scored a hat trick while Mohsin Khan braced and Hammad Anjum and Zulqarnain scored one goal each for Pakistan.
Earlier, a 12-1 thrashing from Malaysia and a 3-3 draw against Bangladesh, elbowed out the green-shirts from the race to make it among the top two teams, which will qualify for Youth Olympics later this year in Argentina.
From Pakistan’s group Malaysia and Bangladesh made it to semifinals while from the other group India and South Korea has qualified for the pre-finals.
Pakistan displayed pathetic show against comparable teams in the tournament and it seems the colts went into the tournament without proper preparations for the unconventional five-a-side, hockey’s futsal event.