Pakistan men's national field hockey team facts for kids
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| Association | Pakistan Hockey Federation | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Confederation | Asian Hockey Federation | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Head Coach | Roelant Oltmans | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assistant coach(es) | Muhammad Usman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manager | Sohail Abbas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Captain | Ammad Butt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Most caps | Waseem Ahmad (410) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top scorer | Sohail Abbas (348) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| FIH ranking | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current | 16  (4 August 2023) |
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| Highest | 4 (2000) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lowest | 20 (Jul 2022) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First international | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Pakistan 2–1 Belgium  (London, United Kingdom; 2 August 1948) |
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| Biggest win | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pakistan 22–0 Nepal  (Madras, India; 26 December 1995) |
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| Olympic Games | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appearances | 16 (first in 1948) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best result |  Champions (1960, 1968, 1984) |
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| World Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appearances | 13 (first in 1971) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best result |  Champions (1971, 1978, 1982, 1994) |
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| Asian Games | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appearances | 17 (first in 1958) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best result |  Champions (1958, 1962, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1990, 2010) |
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| Asia Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appearances | 11 (first in 1982) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best result | Champions (1982, 1985, 1989) |
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Medal record
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The Pakistan men's national field hockey team is a famous team that plays for Pakistan in international field hockey games. They are often called the Green Shirts or Green Machines. The team played its first match in 1948. The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) manages the team. This group is in charge of hockey in Pakistan.
Pakistan has been a member of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) since 1948. They also helped start the Asian Hockey Federation (ASHF) in 1958. Pakistan is one of the most successful field hockey teams in the world. They have won the Hockey World Cup a record four times. These wins were in 1971, 1978, 1982, and 1994.
The Pakistan national team has played in almost all FIH World Cup events. They only missed the tournaments in 2014 and 2023. The Green Shirts have also won the most gold medals at the Asian Games, with eight wins. They are the only Asian team to have won the important Champions Trophy three times. Pakistan has won a total of 29 official international titles. They have also won three gold medals in the Olympic Games field hockey tournaments. These were in Rome 1960, Mexico City 1968, and Los Angeles 1984.
Field hockey is the national sport of Pakistan. The team was ranked as the number one team in the world in 2000 and 2001 by the FIH. Former captain Sohail Abbas holds the World Record for the most international goals scored by a player. Waseem Ahmad has played the most games for the team, with 410 matches between 1996 and 2013.
Pakistan has a strong rivalry in field hockey with India. They have played against each other in 20 major tournament finals. Pakistan has won 13 of these titles. Pakistan won the first three Hockey Asia Cup championships in 1982, 1985, and 1989 against India. They also have rivalries with the Netherlands and Australia.
The team's home ground is National Hockey Stadium in Lahore. The current head coach is Shahnaz Sheikh, and the team manager is Saeed Khan.
Contents
History of Pakistan Hockey
Early Years (1948–1955)
Field hockey was brought to British India by British soldiers. It quickly became popular with local people, just like cricket. After Pakistan became independent in 1947, the Pakistan Hockey Federation was formed in 1948. Before Pakistan became a separate country, players from this region played for the Indian team.
The Federation quickly set up hockey groups in different parts of Pakistan. Even with limited resources, the Pakistan national team played its first international game on August 2, 1948. Led by Ali Iqtidar Shah Dara, they won 2–1 against Belgium at the 1948 London Olympics. Pakistan did not lose any games in their group, beating the Netherlands, Denmark, and France. They finished fourth overall. A big highlight was their 6–1 win over the Netherlands. After the Olympics, Pakistan toured Europe and remained undefeated.
Two years later, in 1950, Pakistan played in a special competition in Spain. They were named joint winners with the Netherlands after the final game ended in a draw. This was Pakistan's first international tournament win. In 1952, Pakistan played in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki. They won their first game 6–0 against France but lost to the Netherlands and Great Britain, finishing fourth again. Over these years, Pakistan toured European teams and hosted them. They also often played against teams from Malaysia and Singapore.
Olympic and Asian Success (1956–1970)
Pakistan won its first Olympic medal in 1956 in Melbourne. They reached the final but lost 1–0 to India, earning a silver medal. This was Pakistan's first Olympic medal. Field hockey was included in the Asian Games for the first time in 1958 in Tokyo. Pakistan played against Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and their rivals India. They won their first three matches easily. In the last match, Pakistan drew 0–0 with India, finishing first and winning their first gold medal in an international competition.
At the 1960 Rome Olympics, Pakistan won all their group matches. They then beat Germany 2–1 in the quarter-final and Spain in the semi-final. Pakistan won the gold medal by defeating India 1–0 in the final. A goal by Naseer Bunda ended India's streak of six Olympic gold medals.
In the 1962 Asian Games, Pakistan won its second gold medal. Captain Chaudhry Ghulam Rasool led the team to this win. However, at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, the team finished second after losing 1–0 to India in the final. They also finished second in the 1966 Asian Games in Bangkok.
Pakistan won its second Olympic Games gold medal in Mexico at the 1968 Summer Olympics. This team is often seen as one of the best hockey squads ever. Captain Tariq Aziz led a strong team. They won all six of their group games. Pakistan reached the final for the fourth time in a row and won the gold medal by beating Australia 2–1. Goals came from Muhammad Asad Malik and Abdul Rashid.
The Golden Era (1970–1984)
In the 1970 Asian Games, Pakistan won their third Asian Games gold medal. They beat Japan and Hong Kong in the group stage. After a draw with Thailand, they won 5–0 against Malaysia in the knockout round. In the final, Pakistan faced India and won 1–0.
The first-ever Hockey World Cup was supposed to be in Pakistan in 1971. But due to political problems, it was moved to Barcelona, Spain. Pakistan was in a group with Spain, Australia, Japan, and the Netherlands. Both Spain and Pakistan moved to the semi-finals. Pakistan beat India 2–1 in a close game. In the final, Pakistan won 1–0 against Spain, winning the first hockey World Cup. This kept them as the number one team in the world. Tanvir Dar was the top goal scorer with eight goals.
At the 1972 Munich Olympics, Pakistan lost the final 1–0 to West Germany, finishing second. The next year, in the 1973 Hockey World Cup, they finished fourth. The team bounced back by winning the 1974 Asian Games but lost to India in the final of the third hockey World Cup in 1975. At the 1976 Montreal Olympics, the team won their first bronze medal.
In 1978, the Pakistan national team won three big international tournaments. These were the third Hockey World Cup in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the 1978 Asian Games, and the first Champions Trophy. This was the first time any national team won three major titles in one year. In 1980, the Pakistan Olympic Association and 65 other countries boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics. This meant Pakistan's hockey team did not play in the tournament.
Pakistan hosted the 1980 and 1981 Champions Trophy tournaments. They won the title in 1980 against West Germany. In the 1980s, Pakistan won every international tournament they played in. This included the 1982 World Cup in Mumbai and the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. At the 1984 Olympics, Pakistan won the gold medal, beating West Germany in the final. Pakistan also won the Asian Games and Asia Cup during this time.
Challenges and Comeback (1986–1996)
Hockey started being played on artificial surfaces (like AstroTurf) in the 1970s. By the 1986 World Cup in London, the game fully moved from grass to these new surfaces. This made the game much faster. The rules also changed to focus more on strength and speed, rather than the stick skills that Asian teams were known for. This change was hard for Pakistan because they could not easily replace all their grass fields with expensive artificial ones. This led to poor results, like finishing 11th at the 1986 World Cup.
However, Pakistan worked hard to adapt to the new changes. They started to play well again in the years that followed. Pakistan finished second at the 1990 World Cup at home in Lahore, losing to the Netherlands. They also won a bronze medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. The biggest success of this time came in 1994. Pakistan first won the 1994 Champions Trophy at home. Later that year, Pakistan won the Hockey World Cup in Sydney after a penalty shootout against the Netherlands.
Recent Years (1998–Present)
After 1996, Pakistan finished 5th at the 1998 Hockey World Cup. In 1999, they won the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup for the first time. Pakistan finished fourth at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. This was the last time Pakistan played for an Olympic medal. They finished 5th at the 2002 World Cup and won a bronze medal at the Champions Trophy that same year.
In 2003, Pakistan lost the Hockey Asia Cup final to India. In 2004, Pakistan played in many tournaments. They finished 5th at the 2004 Athens Olympics and third at the 2004 Champions Trophy in Lahore. In 2005, Pakistan had a great moment when they beat Olympic champion Australia to win the 2005 Hockey RaboTrophy.
The 2008 Beijing Olympics was a tough tournament for the team, where they finished 8th. In 2010, they had their worst World Cup performance, finishing last at the 2010 World Cup. However, later in 2010, Pakistan won the gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games in China. In 2012, Pakistan finished 7th at the 2012 Olympics. Later in 2012, they won a bronze medal at the 2012 Champions Trophy in Melbourne. Pakistan also won the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy in 2012 and 2013.
Pakistan did not qualify for the 2014 World Cup, which was a first for them. They also missed the Rio 2016 Olympics. In 2017, they lost 9–1 to Australia. In 2018, Roelant Oltmans became coach, and the team improved a little. However, they still struggled at the 2018 World Cup. Pakistan also failed to qualify for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
In 2021, Pakistan played in the 2021 Men's Asian Champions Trophy. They did not qualify for the 2023 World Cup. At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Pakistan finished 7th. In December 2022, they finished 7th at the 2022 Nations Cup. In July 2023, Shahnaz Sheikh became the head coach for the 2023 Asian Champions Trophy. In August 2023, Pakistan lost to India by 10-2 at the 2023 Asian Games, which was their biggest defeat ever. They finished 5th. Pakistan also did not qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics. In 2024, Roelant Oltmans returned as coach for the 2024 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and the 2024 Nations Cup.
In July 2025, Pakistan's under-18 team lost 3-0 to Japan in the final of the Men's U-18 Asia Cup. This loss showed the ongoing challenges in the sport, often due to a lack of support and investment.
Team Logo and Home Stadium
The Pakistan national field hockey team's logo has a star and crescent on a dark green background. It also has a white stripe, like the flag of Pakistan.
Pakistan has played at many different places. Since 1978, the main home ground has been National Hockey Stadium in Lahore. This stadium is also known as Gaddafi Hockey Stadium. It is thought to be the biggest international field hockey stadium in the world, holding 45,000 people.
The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has its main office at the stadium. Pakistan has hosted many international games and competitions there. These include the Hockey Asia Cup in 1982 and many Champions Trophy tournaments. They also hosted the 1990 Hockey World Cup, where Pakistan lost to the Netherlands in the final.
Honors and Recognition
Since their first Olympic appearance in 1948, Pakistan has won over 20 official titles:
- Summer Olympics:
- Gold medal: 1960 Rome, 1968 Mexico City, 1984 Los Angeles
- Silver medal: 1956 Melbourne, 1964 Tokyo, 1972 Munich
- Bronze medal: 1976 Montreal, 1992 Barcelona
- World Cup:
- Gold medal: 1971, 1978, 1982, 1994
- Silver medal: 1975, 1990
- Champions Trophy:
- Gold medal: 1978, 1980, 1994
- Silver medal: 1983, 1984, 1988, 1991, 1996, 1998, 2014
- Bronze medal: 1986, 1992, 1995, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2012
- Sultan Azlan Shah Cup:
- Gold medal: 1999, 2000, 2003
- Silver medal: 1983, 1987, 1991, 1994, 2004, 2011, 2024
- Bronze medal: 1985, 2005, 2022
- Asian Champions Trophy:
- Gold medal: 2012, 2013, 2018
- Silver medal: 2011, 2016
- Bronze medal: 2024
- Asia Cup:
- Gold medal: 1982, 1985, 1989
- Silver medal: 1999, 2003, 2009
- Bronze medal: 1994, 2013, 2017
- Asian Games:
- Gold medal: 1958, 1962, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1990, 2010
- Silver medal: 1966, 1986, 2014
- Bronze medal: 1994, 1998, 2006
- Commonwealth Games:
- Silver medal: 2006
- Bronze medal: 2002
- South Asian Games:
- Gold medal: 2006, 2010, 2016
- Silver medal: 1995
- Afro-Asian Games:
- Silver medal: 2003
- Hockey Champions Challenge:
- Silver medal: 2009
- FIH Hockey Nations Cup:
- Silver Medal: 2025
Team Records
Top Goal Scorers
This table shows the players who have scored the most goals for Pakistan.
| Rank | Player | Goals | Matches | Career | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sohail Abbas | 348 | 311 | 1998–2012 | |
| 2 | Hassan Sardar | 150 | 148 | 1979–1987 | |
| 3 | Tahir Zaman | 134 | 252 | 1987–1998 | |
| 4 | Kamran Ashraf | 129 | 166 | 1993–2002 | |
| 5 | Hanif Khan | 127 | 177 | 1976–1985 | |
| 6 | Rehan Butt | 110 | 274 | 2002–2012 | [?] |
| 7 | Muhammad Imran | 106 | 289 | 2004–2015 | [?] |
| 8 | Shakeel Abbasi | 103 | 309 | 2003–2014 | |
| 9 | Manzoor-ul-Hassan | 101 | 154 | 1972–1982 | |
| 10 | Shahbaz Ahmed | 101 | 304 | 1986–2002 |
Most-Capped Players
This table shows the players who have played the most matches for Pakistan.
| Rank | Player | Matches | Goals | Career | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waseem Ahmed | 410 | 10 | 1996–2013 | |
| 2 | Sohail Abbas | 311 | 348 | 1998–2012 | |
| 3 | Shakeel Abbasi | 309 | 103 | 2003–2014 | |
| 4 | Shahbaz Ahmed | 304 | 101 | 1986–2002 | |
| 5 | Muhammad Imran | 289 | 106 | 2004–2015 | [?] |
| 6 | Rehan Butt | 274 | 110 | 2002–2012 | [?] |
| 7 | Tahir Zaman | 252 | 134 | 1987–1998 | |
| 8 | Mansoor Ahmed | 238 | 0 | 1986–1997 | |
| 9 | Zeeshan Ashraf | 235 | 3 | 2001–2010 | [?] |
| 10 | Muhammad Saqlain | 233 | 32 | 1999–2009 | [?] |
| 11 | Muhammed Umar Bhutta | 204 | 57 | 2009–present |
Team Members
Officials
These are the people who manage and coach the team.
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach: | Zeeshan Ashraf |
| Manager: | Usman Sheikh |
| Assistant coach: | Nadeem Lodhi |
| Goalkeeping coach: | Sabir Ali |
| Physical Instructor: | Najeeb Khattak |
Current Players
The following 18 players were part of the team for the 2024 Men's Asian Champions Trophy in Hulunbuir.
Caps (games played) and goals are updated as of June 9, 2024, after the match against South Africa.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Abdullah Ishtiaq Khan | 21 May 2000 | 31 | 0 | Mari Petroleum |
| 56 | GK | Muneeb Ur-Rehman | 7 December 1997 | 3 | 0 | SSGC |
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| 5 | DF | Sufyan Khan | 13 March 2004 | 41 | 20 | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
| 16 | DF | Ammad Butt (Captain) | 13 January 1996 | 157 | 13 | NBP |
| 17 | DF | Muhammad Hammadudin | 12 December 2000 | 18 | 0 | WAPDA |
| 27 | DF | Abu Mahmood | 10 February 1998 | 87 | 30 |  Bayside Cougars |
| 20 | DF | Faisal Qadir | 17 October 1992 | 86 | 0 | WAPDA |
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| 4 | MF | Rooman | 31 March 2001 | 30 | 6 | WAPDA |
| 7 | MF | Moin Shakeel | 8 June 2000 | 38 | 3 | WAPDA |
| 10 | MF | Zikriya Hayat | 4 May 2004 | 28 | 1 | Pakistan Navy |
| 11 | MF | Arshad Liaqat | 27 March 2002 | 41 | 9 | Mari Petroleum |
| 14 | MF | Ahmad Nadeem | 8 March 1998 | 13 | 2 | Mari Petroleum |
| 15 | MF | Ghazanfar Ali | 27 February 2002 | 38 | 11 | Mari Petroleum |
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| 8 | FW | Waheed Ashraf Rana | 4 February 2000 | 61 | 29 | WAPDA |
| 9 | FW | Hannan Shahid | 7 September 2005 | 43 | 18 | WAPDA |
| 18 | FW | Abdul Rehman | 7 February 1999 | 16 | 3 | Pakistan Air Force |
| 23 | FW | Ajaz Ahmad | 13 June 1992 | 100 | 21 | WAPDA |
| 77 | FW | Salman Razzaq | 2 June 1995 | 100 | 1 | WAPDA |
Recent Matches
2024 Matches
All times are (UTC+5).
2024 Asian Champions Trophy
| 8 September PR | Malaysia  |
2–2 | Pakistan |
Hulunbuir, China |
| 12:45 | Stadium: Moqi training base |
| 9 September PR | South Korea  |
2–2 | Pakistan |
Hulunbuir, China |
| 10:30 | Stadium: Moqi training base |
| 11 September PR | Pakistan |
2–1 |  Japan |
Hulunbuir, China |
| 10:30 | Stadium: Moqi training base |
| 12 September PR | Pakistan |
5–1 |  China |
Hulunbuir, China |
| 15:00 | Stadium: Moqi training base |
| 14 September PR | India  |
2–1 | Pakistan |
Hulunbuir, China |
| 12:45 | Stadium: Moqi training base |
| 16 September SF | Pakistan |
1–1 (0–2 p) |
China |
Hulunbuir, China |
| 12:30 | Stadium: Moqi training base |
| 17 September 3rd Place game | Pakistan |
5–2 | South Korea |
Hulunbuir, China |
| 12:30 | Stadium: Moqi training base |
2025 Matches
All times are (UTC+5).
2024–25 Men's FIH Hockey Nations Cup
| 15 June Pool B | Malaysia |
3–3 | Pakistan |
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| 17:00 | Stadium: Malaysia National Hockey Stadium |
| 16 June Pool B | Japan |
2–3 | Pakistan |
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| 15:00 | Stadium: Malaysia National Hockey Stadium |
| 18 June Pool B |  New Zealand |
4–3 | Pakistan |
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| 15:00 | Stadium: Malaysia National Hockey Stadium |
| 20 June SF |  France |
3–3 (2–3 p) |
Pakistan |
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| 15:30 | Stadium: Malaysia National Hockey Stadium |
| 21 June F | Pakistan |
2–6 | New Zealand |
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| 18:00 | Stadium: Malaysia National Hockey Stadium |
Images for kids
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Pakistan national field hockey team, before playing final against Netherlands in Barcelona (Spain) on 4 November 1950 during the Barcelona International Hockey Festival.
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Medal ceremony for the gold medalist Pakistan hockey team at the 1960 Olympic games in Rome
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Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) President (1967–69, 1976–84) Air Marshal Nur Khan suggested the idea of the Hockey World Cup to FIH in 1969 and founded the Champions Trophy in 1978.
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Pakistan with the 1971 Men's Hockey World Cup trophy
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Pakistan playing against Argentina in 2005.
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The national team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
See also
In Spanish: Selección masculina de hockey sobre hierba de Pakistán para niños
- Pakistan Hockey League
- India–Pakistan field hockey rivalry
- Pakistan men's national under-21 field hockey team
