LAHORE: Finally, there is some encouraging news in Pakistan hockey which has struggled badly for years, both on and off the field. More importantly, the refreshing development came from the playing field.

The senior men’s national team in a superb comeback performance edged Japan 4-3 in the semi-final of the FIH World Cup qualifier at the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) Hockey Stadium in Ismailia, Egypt.

Trailing 3-1 in third quarter of the match, the Ammad Butt-led team smashed three goals in the last nine minutes of the final quarter to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Most importantly, the win which Pakistan fans hope will stimulate the national sport, guaranteed the Green-shirts a place in the global event that will be staged jointly by Belgium and the Netherlands in August this year. Pakistan will be playing in a hockey World Cup after eight years.

The once-giant force in global hockey and four-time World Cup winners failed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup held in The Hague, Netherlands, and finished a poor 12th in the 16-nation edition staged in Bhubaneswar, India in 2018. Pakistan again failed to qualify for the 2023 World Cup held in the Indian city of Odisha.

In a fine start on Friday, Ammad gave Pakistan an early lead in the ninth minute with a suyperb field goal.

The lead, which remained intact till the end of the first quarter, was neutralised in the second quarter (21st minute) when Japan’s Ryoma Ooka scored a field goal.

In an inspiring show, Japan took control of the match in the penultimate quarter when Shota Yamada Shota (35th minute) and Yamasaki Koji (40th minute) struck in quick succession to take a solid 3-1 lead.

However, Pakistan had other ideas. In a sensational comeback in the final quarter, they scored three goals through Abu Bakr Mahmood, Sufyan Khan and Afraz in the 52nd, 55th and 57th minutes, respectively, to reclaim the lead that remained intact till the final whistle.

Just two minutes before the end of the match, Japan lost a golden opportunity to equalise when Fujishima Raiki missed a penalty-stroke.

Pakistan produced a positive show in Ismailia qualifier where they remained unbeaten winning their group matches — against China (5-4), Malaysia (5-3) and Austria (4-2) — before the semi-final triumph.

Ammad and company now face England — who routed Malaysia 7-1 in the other last-four match — in the final of the qualifying event at the same venue on Saturday.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2026