ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s under-18 hockey team departed from Karachi for Japan on Monday with high hopes of reclaiming lost glory in the Under-18 Asia Cup 2026, scheduled to be played in Kakamegahara from May 29 to June 6 under the auspices of the Asian Hockey Federation.
The Green Shirts will compete against the continent’s top emerging sides in what is being termed as a major testing ground for Asia’s future hockey stars. Pakistan have been placed in Pool B alongside Malaysia, China and Bangladesh, while Pool A comprises India, Korea, Japan, Chinese Taipei and Kazakhstan.
Pakistan will launch their campaign against China on May 30 before taking on strong rivals Malaysia on May 31. Their final group match against Bangladesh is scheduled for June 3. The group-stage fixtures will continue till June 4, with semi-finals and classification matches set for June 5, while the final and third-place playoff will be played on June 6.
The squad left amid growing optimism following an extensive preparation camp supervised by the Pakistan Hockey Federation President Mohiuddin Ahmed Wani. Senior coaches and former Olympians remained closely involved in grooming the young squad ahead of the prestigious continental assignment.
The touring management includes head coach Qamar Ibrahim, coaches Rehan Butt, Muhammad Umar Bhatta and Yasir Islam, video analyst Syed Abu Zar Umrao and physiotherapist Adeel Akhtar.
The 18-member squad features Ghulam Mustafa, Noman, Abdullah Awan, Muhammad Yahya Najeeb, Asim Haider, Muhammad Usman, Muhammad Zaman, Muhammad Asnan, Hassan Akbar, Shahidullah, Muhammad Zaneer, Muhammad Farhan Aslam, Rana Abdul Sami, Uzair Ahmed Qureshi, Usman Ghani, Muzammil Saeed, Salman Yasin and Adeel.
Meanwhile, PHF President Mohiuddin Ahmed Wani, Development Committee Chairman Islahuddin Siddiqui, Olympians Hassan Sardar and Samiullah Khan, along with Director High Performance and Development Tahir Zaman extended their best wishes to the team, expressing confidence that the young players would deliver a spirited performance on the continental stage.
