Pakistan men's national field hockey team facts for kids
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| Association | Pakistan Hockey Federation | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Confederation | AHF (Asia) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Head Coach | Roelant Oltmans | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assistant coach(es) | Muhammad Usman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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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| Biggest defeat | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 India 10–2 Pakistan (Hangzhou, China; 30 September 2023) |
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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 national field hockey team (Urdu: پاکستان قومى ہاكى ٹیم) is a super successful team that plays for Pakistan in international field hockey games. They played their first match in 1948. The team is managed by the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), which is in charge of hockey in Pakistan. Pakistan has been a part of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) since 1948. They also helped start the Asian Hockey Federation (ASHF) in 1958.
Pakistan is one of the best field hockey teams in the world! They have won the Hockey World Cup a record four times: in 1971, 1978, 1982, and 1994. The team, often called the Green Shirts, has played in almost every FIH World Cup. They only missed the tournaments in 2014 and 2023.
The Green Shirts are also the most successful team in the Asian Games. They have won eight gold medals, more than any other country in Asia! They also won the important Hockey Champions Trophy three times: in 1978, 1980, and 1994. Overall, Pakistan has won 29 official international titles. This includes three gold medals at the Olympic Games field hockey tournaments: in Rome 1960, Mexico City 1968, and Los Angeles 1984.
Field hockey is the national sport of Pakistan. The Pakistan team was even ranked as the number one team in the world in 2000 and 2001 by the FIH. Sohail Abbas, a former captain, holds the World Record for scoring the most goals in international field hockey history. Waseem Ahmad has played the most games for the team, with 410 appearances between 1996 and 2013.
Pakistan has a big rivalry with the Indian team. They have played against each other in 20 major tournament finals. Pakistan has won 13 of these exciting matches. They even won the first three Hockey Asia Cup championships in a row against India in 1982, 1985, and 1989. Pakistan also has strong rivalries with the Netherlands and Australia.
Pakistan's home ground is the National Hockey Stadium in Lahore. The current head coach is Shahnaz Sheikh, and the team manager is Saeed Khan.
Contents
- Team History: How Pakistan Became a Hockey Powerhouse
- Early Days and First Steps (1948–1955)
- Rising to Olympic and Asian Glory (1956–1970)
- The Golden Era of Hockey (1970–1984)
- New Surfaces and Comeback (1986–1996)
- After Atlanta Olympics: Challenges and Wins (1998–2006)
- Beijing Olympics and a Difficult Period (2008–2012)
- Missing World Cups and Olympics (2013–Present)
- Team Identity: Logo and Home Stadium
- Team Achievements: Honors and Awards
- Team Records: Top Players and Stats
- Team Members: Players and Coaches
- Images for kids
- See also
Team History: How Pakistan Became a Hockey Powerhouse
Early Days and First Steps (1948–1955)
Field hockey was brought to British India by British soldiers. It quickly became a popular sport among the local people, just like cricket. After Pakistan became independent in 1947, the Pakistan Hockey Federation was created in 1948. Before Pakistan's independence, players from the region played for the Indian team.
The Federation quickly set up sports 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 stayed unbeaten in their group, beating the Netherlands, Denmark, and France. They finished fourth overall. A big moment was their 6–1 win over the Netherlands. After the Olympics, Pakistan toured Europe and remained undefeated against Belgium, Netherlands, and Italy.
Two years later, in 1950, Pakistan played in a special competition in Spain. They were declared 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 Helsinki Olympics. They won their first knockout game against France 6–0. However, they lost to the Netherlands and Great Britain, finishing fourth again. Over these years, Pakistan toured European teams and also hosted them. They also often played against Malaysia and Singapore in Asia.
Rising to Olympic and Asian Glory (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 ever Olympic medal. Field hockey was first included in the Asian Games in 1958 in Tokyo. Pakistan was in a group with Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and their rivals India.
They beat Japan 5–0 in their first match. Then they had two more big wins against South Korea (8–0) and Malaysia (6–0). In their last group match, Pakistan drew 0–0 with India. They finished at the top of their group and won their first gold medal in an international competition!
At the 1960 Rome Olympics, Pakistan won all their group matches against Australia, Poland, and Japan. They then beat Germany 2–1 in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, they defeated Spain. Pakistan finally won the gold medal by beating India 1–0. Naseer Bunda scored the winning goal. This win ended India's amazing streak of six gold medals in a row at the Summer Olympic Games.
In the 1962 Asian Games, Pakistan won its second gold medal. Captain Chaudhry Ghulam Rasool led the team to another big win. However, at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, the team finished second again, losing 1–0 to India in the final. They also finished second at the 1966 Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand.
Pakistan won its second Olympic Games gold medal in Mexico at the 1968 Summer Olympics. Many people think this was the best hockey team ever! It was led by captain Tariq Aziz. The team included amazing players like Saeed Anwar, Khalid Mahmood, Gulraiz Akhtar, and Tariq Niazi. They won all six of their group games. They beat Kenya, Great Britain, Malaysia, Australia, France, and the Netherlands. In the knockout round, they beat West Germany. Pakistan reached the final for the fourth Olympics in a row. They won the gold medal by defeating Australia 2–1, with goals from Muhammad Asad Malik and Abdul Rashid. Rashid was Pakistan's top scorer with seven goals, and Tanvir Dar scored six.
The Golden Era of Hockey (1970–1984)
In the 1970 Asian Games, Pakistan was competing with Thailand and Japan for a spot in the finals. They scored three goals against Japan in their first match to win. Then they beat Hong Kong 10–0 to top their group. The team drew 0–0 with Thailand and moved to the knockout round, where they won 5–0 against Malaysia. In the final, Pakistan faced India and won 1–0, securing their third Asian Games gold medal.
In 1971, Pakistan was supposed to host the first-ever Hockey World Cup. However, due to political problems, the tournament had to be moved. The FIH had accidentally planned the World Cup during the Bangladesh Liberation War. Also, Pakistan and India had been at war just six years earlier. When Pakistan invited India to play, there were protests in Pakistan. Because of the strong feelings between the two countries, the FIH decided to move the tournament. In March 1971, the first Hockey World Cup was moved to Barcelona, Spain, a neutral and peaceful place. On March 27, 1971, the trophy was officially given to the FIH President by Pakistan's Ambassador to Belgium. Ten teams played in the event, divided into two groups.
The Pakistani team was in a group with hosts Spain, Australia, Japan, and the Netherlands. Spain and Pakistan topped the group and both went to the semi-finals. In the first semi-final, Pakistan beat India 2–1 in a very close game. In the second semi-final, Spain defeated Kenya 1–0 to reach the final against Pakistan. In the final, Pakistan scored early and then played strong defense to win 1–0. They won the first hockey World Cup and kept their number one spot in the world hockey rankings. Tanvir Dar was the top scorer with eight goals.
At the 1972 Munich Olympics, Pakistan lost the final 1–0 to hosts West Germany. They finished fourth the next year in the 1973 Hockey World Cup. The national team bounced back by winning and keeping their title at the 1974 Asian Games. But they lost to their rivals India in the final of the third hockey World Cup in 1975. The 1976 Montreal Olympics saw the team win their first bronze medal in the Olympics.
The year 1978 was amazing for the Pakistan national team. They won three big international tournaments: 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 had won three major titles in the history of international field hockey. In 1980, the Pakistan Olympic Association, along with 65 other countries, boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics. This was due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Because of this, the Pakistan hockey team did not play in the field hockey competition at the tournament.
Pakistan hosted the 1980 and 1981 Champions Trophy tournaments. They won the title against West Germany in 1980 and finished fourth a year later. These games were held at the Hockey Club of Pakistan in Karachi. 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 many times during this period.
New Surfaces and Comeback (1986–1996)
Hockey started being played on artificial surfaces in the 1970s. But it wasn't until the 1986 World Cup in London that the FIH fully switched from grass fields to AstroTurf. AstroTurf is a synthetic turf made from plastic fibers that looks like grass. This change made the game much faster. To match these new conditions, the rules of the game were changed a lot. The new rules focused more on strength and speed, rather than the stick skills and technique that Asian hockey teams were famous for.
This change was hard for Pakistan because they couldn't afford to replace all their grass fields with the more expensive synthetic surfaces, unlike richer European countries. As a result, Pakistan played very poorly at the World Cup in London. They won only one game and finished second last, in 11th place. However, Pakistan managed to adapt to the new game changes in the following years. They started to become dominant again. Pakistan finished second at the 1990 World Cup at home in Lahore, losing the final to the Netherlands. They also won a bronze medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
The most exciting moment of this time came in 1994. Pakistan first won the 1994 Champions Trophy at home, their first title in that competition in 14 years. Later that year, Pakistan won the Hockey World Cup in Sydney after winning a penalty shootout against the Netherlands.
After Atlanta Olympics: Challenges and Wins (1998–2006)
After the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, the next big competition was the 1998 Hockey World Cup in Utrecht. Pakistan finished 5th in that tournament. The next year, Pakistan won the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup for the first time in 1999. Pakistan finished fourth at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney after losing the bronze medal match to Australia. This was the last time Pakistan played for an Olympic medal.
Pakistan finished 5th at the 2002 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur. They also won a bronze medal at the Champions Trophy that same year. At the 2002 Asian Games, Pakistan finished fourth. This was the first time the team didn't win a medal at this competition. In 2003, Pakistan lost the Hockey Asia Cup final to India. In 2004, Pakistan played in many tournaments before the Olympics. They finished 5th at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Later in December, Pakistan finished third at the 2004 Champions Trophy in Lahore, earning their third bronze medal in a row.
In 2005, Pakistan had a great moment when they beat Olympic champion Australia to win the 2005 Hockey RaboTrophy in the Netherlands. Pakistan finished 6th at the 2006 World Cup. They even failed to get past the group stages of the 2007 Asia Cup.
Beijing Olympics and a Difficult Period (2008–2012)
The 2008 Beijing Olympics was the team's worst performance at the event, where they finished 8th. The year 2010 started with another record low performance at the 2010 World Cup in New Delhi, where the team finished last in 12th place. But later that same year, Pakistan had a big success by winning the gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games in China.
In 2011, Pakistan played in many smaller tournaments before the 2012 Olympics, where they finished 7th. Later in 2012, Pakistan won a bronze medal at the 2012 Champions Trophy in Melbourne. They surprised strong teams like Germany. The Pakistani national team's most successful tournament during this time was the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy. They won it first in 2012 against India and finished second in the first edition of the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy in 2011.
Even though the team didn't win many major honors during this period, Pakistan had world-famous individual players. These included Sohail Abbas, who was the top scorer at the 2002 World Cup and 2004 Olympics. He later broke the record for the most goals in international hockey with 348 goals. Other great players were Rehan Butt, who was twice voted Best Asian Player, Shakeel Abbasi, Salman Akbar, and Muhammad Saqlain.
Missing World Cups and Olympics (2013–Present)
Pakistan did not directly qualify for the 2014 World Cup. They had one last chance to qualify by winning the 2013 Asia Cup. However, they finished third and failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time ever. Pakistan also failed to qualify for the Olympics for the first time at Rio 2016. This happened after they didn't get a qualifying spot in the 2014–15 FIH Hockey World League.
From 2016 to 2017, Pakistan played poorly in different competitions. They even lost 9–1 to Australia in 2017, which was a record defeat. In 2018, Roelant Oltmans from the Netherlands became the coach, and the team improved a little. But they still performed poorly at the 2018 World Cup, not winning a single match. Pakistan again failed to qualify for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. They lost the Olympic Qualifiers against the Netherlands in 2019.
The PHF announced Pakistan would play in the 2021 Asian Champions Trophy. This was the team's first international competition in two years. Siegfried Aikman was named head coach. Pakistan could not qualify for the 2023 World Cup, even though it was a 16-team event. Pakistan then played in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where they finished 7th. In December 2022, Pakistan played in the 2022 Nations Cup and finished 7th. In July 2023, Shahnaz Sheikh was appointed head coach for the 2023 Asian Champions Trophy. In August 2023, the PHF announced a 36-player squad for the Asian Games 2023. In the Asian Games 2023, Pakistan lost to India by 10-2, which was their biggest defeat ever. Pakistan finished 5th in the Asian Games 2023. Pakistan also failed to 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.
Team Identity: Logo and Home Stadium
The Pakistan national field hockey team's symbol has a star and crescent on a dark green background. It also has a white stripe on the side, just like the flag of Pakistan. The team usually wears green and white colors.
Pakistan has played at many different places across the country. But since 1978, their main home ground has been the National Hockey Stadium in Lahore. This stadium is also known as Gaddafi Hockey Stadium. Sometimes, they use Faisalabad Hockey Stadium and the Hockey Club of Pakistan for home matches if the main stadium is not available. The National Hockey Stadium is thought to be the biggest international field hockey stadium in the world, holding 45,000 fans!
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 the Champions Trophy tournaments many times. They also hosted the 1990 Hockey World Cup, where Pakistan lost 3–1 to the Netherlands in the final.
Team Achievements: Honors and Awards
Since their first big moment at the 1948 Summer Olympics, Pakistan has won over 20 official titles! Here are some of their major achievements:
- 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: 1998, 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
- 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
Team Records: Top Players and Stats
As of October 27, 2019
Players in bold text are still playing for Pakistan
Top Goal Scorers in History
| 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 Games Played (Most-Capped Players)
| 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: Players and Coaches
Team Officials
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach: | Tahir Zaman |
| Manager: | Usman Muhammed |
| Assistant coach: | Ashraf Zeeshan |
| Goalkeeping coach: | Amjad Ali |
| Video analyst: | Rehan Butt |
| Physical Instructor: | Rajakamal |
Current Players
The 18 players listed below were chosen for the 2024 Men's Asian Champions Trophy in Hulunbuir.
The number of games played (caps) and goals scored are correct 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 |
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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PHF President (1967–69, 1976–84) Air Marshal Nur Khan came up with the idea for the Hockey World Cup in 1969 and started the Champions Trophy in 1978.
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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
