National U-18 Hockey Championship kicks off; Three matches decided on opening day
National U-18 Hockey Championship kicks off; Three matches decided on opening day
ISLAMABAD: The National Under-18 Hockey Championship officially commenced at the Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium in the federal capital. The event was inaugurated by Secretary IPC and President of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), Muhyuddin Ahmad Wani, who performed the traditional opening hit.
Organized by the PHF, the 2026 championship saw three high-energy matches on its first day:
KPK-2 vs. Gilgit-Baltistan: KPK-2 secured a dominant 10-1 victory. Qasim scored a hat-trick, while Sudais (2), Muzammil, Owais, Haris, Waqas, and Samima each added one. Mustafeen scored the lone goal for Gilgit-Baltistan.
KPK-1 vs. Punjab-1: In a one-sided encounter, KPK-1 defeated Punjab-1 4-0. Uzair scored twice, with Abbas and Zain contributing one goal each.
Pakistan Customs vs. Punjab-4: Pakistan Customs won a closely contested match 2-1 against Punjab-4. Hasnain and Adeel scored for Customs, while Abdullah Farooq netted the only goal for Punjab.
The tournament runs from April 9 to April 19, featuring 16 teams divided into four pools (A, B, C, and D) competing for the national title.
During the ceremony, PHF President Muhyuddin Ahmad Wani emphasized that grooming talent at the grassroots level is the need of the hour. He reaffirmed his commitment to modernizing coaching standards and improving infrastructure to help return Pakistan hockey to its “Golden Era.”
