Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi praised the national hockey team for qualifying for the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026, ending an eight-year absence from the global tournament.
Four-time world champions Pakistan, who last played in the tournament in 2018, secured qualification after defeating Japan 4-3 in the ongoing FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers. The match was held at the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) Hockey Stadium in Ismailia.
Pakistan produced a dramatic comeback during the match. The team was trailing Japan by two goals until the 52nd minute. Within the next five minutes, Pakistan scored three goals through Abu Mahmood, Sufyan Khan, and Afraz, completing a remarkable turnaround to secure the victory.
Naqvi praised the team’s achievement and credited the players’ dedication and teamwork.
“This success is the result of the teamwork and hard work of the players,” Naqvi said in a statement released by the PCB. “This win proves that Pakistan has hockey talent.”
He also expressed hope that the national team would win the qualifying tournament, whose final will be played at the same venue on Saturday.
Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s Federal Interior Minister, has been actively involved in supporting the national sport. Hockey faced significant challenges earlier this year following the national team’s tour of Australia for the FIH Pro League, where the players encountered an accommodation crisis.
The situation intensified when national team captain Ammad Butt publicly criticized the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) for mishandling the tour arrangements. The issue drew the attention of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who ordered an inquiry into the matter.
Following the controversy, PHF President Tariq Bugti stepped down from his position, while Ammad Butt received a two-year ban from the federation.
After the administrative changes, Mohiuddin Wani was appointed as interim president to oversee the federation’s affairs. One of his first actions was to revoke the ban on captain Ammad Butt.
Later, Naqvi met with the national hockey players and assured them of support during the period of turmoil.
During the meeting, he distributed cheques worth Rs1 million each to the players after their runner-up finish in the recent national hockey tournament, fulfilling an earlier promise.
Naqvi also instructed that injured players receive immediate medical treatment under PCB supervision and encouraged the team to remain focused on the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers.
