Japan defeat Pakistan 3-0 to clinch Men’s U-18 Asia Cup Hockey title

Staff Report

LAHORE: Japan clinched the Men’s Under-18 Asia Cup 2025 title with a commanding 3-0 victory over Pakistan in the final at the National Hockey Training Centre on Sunday in Dazhou, China, bringing an end to Pakistan’s unbeaten run in the tournament. The final saw Japan dominate both tactically and technically, taking advantage of Pakistan’s conservative start. Unlike previous matches, Pakistan adopted a cautious, defensive strategy and failed to earn a single penalty corner until midway through the match. The first half remained goalless, despite Japan earning a penalty corner late in the first quarter — a chance they were unable to convert. Japan’s Ueda Ryutaro was shown a green card just before the break, but Pakistan could not capitalise on the numerical advantage. Japan broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute through Fujiwara Yuma, who later doubled the lead in the third quarter to make it 2-0.

Pakistan mounted a strong comeback attempt in the third quarter, earning six penalty corners in a span of minutes, but their inability to convert any of them proved costly. Japan’s defence held firm, keeping the score at 2-0 heading into the final quarter. The Japanese side maintained their attacking momentum in the fourth quarter, winning three successive penalty corners and eventually sealing the match with a third goal, dashing Pakistan’s hopes of a title win. Despite the defeat, Pakistan’s overall performance in the tournament was commendable. They began their campaign with an emphatic 8-0 win over Hong Kong, followed by a crushing 9-0 victory against Sri Lanka. A 6-3 triumph over Bangladesh virtually confirmed their place in the knockout stage. In the quarter-finals, Pakistan overcame China 2-1, delivering a composed and dominant display. They then edged past Malaysia in a high-octane semi-final that ended 3-3 in regulation time and was decided via a dramatic 4-3 penalty shootout.

Pakistan is also reviewing the security situation in India before taking a call on sending its hockey teams to the neighbouring country for the Asia Cup and Junior World Cup to be held later this year, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported on Saturday. According to the PTI, a top official of the government has said that the national team will not be sent to India if there are security threats to them. Pakistan are scheduled to participate in the Asia Cup being held in Rajgir, Bihar, from August 27 to September 7, for which the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has sought clearance from the government. Pakistan are also due to feature in the FIH Junior World Cup, to be staged in Chennai in Nov-Dec this year.