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Scoop
an hour ago
- Sport
- Scoop
NZ Men's Hockey Team Win Nations Cup
There has been a big result for the New Zealand men's hockey team beating Pakistan 6-2 in the final of the Nations Cup in Malaysia. A dominant first half set up the victory, even though they had two goals disallowed in the opening minutes. They eventually broke through when Scott Cosslett scored from a penalty corner. Four more goals came before halftime, as the Black Sticks took the game away from Pakistan, with Sam Hiha doubling the lead, and then excellent goals scored by Dylan Thomas, Sean Findlay and Scott Boyde. Findlay's, in particular, was super classy, as he blasted home from the most acute of angles, after receiving an aerial pass. New Zealand's last goal came in the final three minutes of the match, with Cosslett's second successful drag flick from a penalty corner, which left the team full of smiles at the post-match presentation. The result was especially sweet for experienced New Zealand player Nic Woods, who was named player of the match. "It's nice to have one of those games where things just come together and it all clicked today. "I'm very happy that it happened in the final and very happy for our success, and looking forward to what we can accomplish together," Woods said. The title is New Zealand's second consecutive Nations Cup crown, and crucially, wins them promotion back into the top-tiered FIH Hockey Pro League.
Express Tribune
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Express Tribune
NZ outplay Pak to win Nations Cup
A view of the New Zealand versus Pakistan hockey final of the FIH Nations Cup in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday. NZ proved much superior to Pak on the day, winning 6-2. PHOTO: AFP New Zealand emerged victorious in the final of the FIH Nations Cup by 6-2 on Saturday, defeating Pakistan to secure the coveted title and a place in the next season of the FIH Pro League. New Zealand made a spirited start to the summit clash as they found the back of the net twice but were disallowed on both occasions. They eventually struck their first goal in the sixth minute as Scott Coslett successfully converted the penalty corner. New Zealand doubled their lead in the last minute of the first quarter, courtesy of a precise field goal by Sam Hiha. They were even more ruthless in the subsequent quarter as they netted their third through Dylan Thomas within two minutes. Sean Findlay scored a sensational field goal in the next minute, putting New Zealand in complete control, while Scott Boyde made it 5-0 with just under four minutes to the halftime. Pakistan eventually scored their first goal in the fifth minute of the third quarter when Zikriya Hayat breached New Zealand's defence to smash the ball at the back of the net. The green shirts got five penalty corners in the penultimate quarter but failed to convert, meaning the scoreline remained intact at 5-1. The final quarter saw both teams going hard at each other and it appeared that the scoreline would remain intact but New Zealand were awarded a penalty corner, which Coslett converted comprehensively. Pakistan also scored in the next minute with Sufyan Khan converting a penalty corner but it was far from enough to pull Pakistan back as New Zealand registered a thumping 6-2 victory. The victory propelled New Zealand to the FIH Pro League. Pak hockey captain wants Asia Cup shifted from India Pakistan hockey captain Imad Shakeel Butt has raised serious concerns about the upcoming 2025 Men's Hockey Asia Cup, calling on the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) to shift the event away from India due to ongoing political tensions between the two countries. The tournament, scheduled to be held from August 27 to September 7, 2025, in Rajgir, Bihar, serves as a direct qualifier for the 2026 Hockey World Cup and, for Pakistan, it's a vital opportunity to secure a spot on global hockey's biggest stage. But the captain fears the political climate could affect fair participation. "The Asia Cup is crucial for us. Given the current political situation, we strongly believe the venue should be reconsidered to ensure fair participation and a neutral environment," said Imad Butt while addressing the media on Wednesday. His statement comes amid growing uncertainty over whether Pakistan will even be granted entry into India for the tournament. Reports, though not officially confirmed, have suggested that Indian authorities may delay or deny visas to the Pakistani team, citing security reasons. The 2025 Hockey Asia Cup is not the only sporting event expected to come under scrutiny due to Pakistan-India tensions. The 2025 Cricket Asia Cup is also under a cloud, while the Women's ODI World Cup is expected to carry high tensions as it is set to take place in India as well. Pakistan and India share an intense rivalry in hockey, but off-field politics have frequently cast a shadow on their matchups. With just a few months to go before the Asia Cup, questions remain about whether the tournament can go ahead smoothly if hosted in India — particularly if Pakistan's participation is in doubt. For now, all eyes are on the Asian Hockey Federation, as Pakistan awaits a decision that could impact their road to the 2026 World Cup.
The Sun
8 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
New Zealand outclass Pakistan 6-2 to retain FIH Nations Cup Crown
KUALA LUMPUR: Defending champions New Zealand retained their crown in style after overpowering Pakistan 6-2 in the final of the FIH Hockey Men's Nations Cup 2024-25 at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil today. The Black Sticks stamped their authority from the get-go, scoring the first in the sixth minute through Scott Cosslett's penalty corner strike. Sam Hiha doubled the lead with a field goal in the 15th minute before Dylan Thomas and Sean Findlay added two more in quick succession in the 17th and 18th minutes, to stun the Green Shirts. Scott Boyde then added the fifth for New Zealand in the 27th minute before Pakistan managed to pull one back after the break through Zikriya Hayat's field goal in the 36th minute. Scott Cosslett scored the sixth goal for New Zealand in the 58th minute before Sufyan Khan added another for Pakistan a minute after.
The Sun
8 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
New Zealand Crush Pakistan 6-2 to Win Nations Cup
KUALA LUMPUR: Defending champions New Zealand retained their crown in style after overpowering Pakistan 6-2 in the final of the FIH Hockey Men's Nations Cup 2024-25 at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil today. The Black Sticks stamped their authority from the get-go, scoring the first in the sixth minute through Scott Cosslett's penalty corner strike. Sam Hiha doubled the lead with a field goal in the 15th minute before Dylan Thomas and Sean Findlay added two more in quick succession in the 17th and 18th minutes, to stun the Green Shirts. Scott Boyde then added the fifth for New Zealand in the 27th minute before Pakistan managed to pull one back after the break through Zikriya Hayat's field goal in the 36th minute. Scott Cosslett scored the sixth goal for New Zealand in the 58th minute before Sufyan Khan added another for Pakistan a minute after.
New Straits Times
17 hours ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
New Zealand pummel Pakistan in Nations Cup final
KUALA LUMPUR: New Zealandhammered Pakistan 6-2 to retain the Nations Cup title at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Saturday. In winning the tournament, the Kiwis will be promoted to play in the FIH Pro League 2025/26. The Black Sticks scored two goals in the first six minutes, but both the goals were disallowed after video referral. But the former Olympics champions kept creating chances, and scored five goals through Scott Cosslett (sixth, 58th), Sam Hiha (15th), Dylan Thomas (17th), Sean Findlay (18th) and Scott Boyde (27th). Pakistan replied through Zikriya Hayat (36th) and Sufyan Khan (59th). New Zealand coach Greg Nicol said: "We played an incredible game and with aggression. We didn't give Pakistan any cheap turnovers. We took our chances well." Pakistan coach Tahir Zaman said: "We didn't have a good start, but we managed to get the two goals in the last two quarters. We have inconsistency problem in our game." In an earlier match, France finished third after edging South Korea 3-2 in a penalty shootout. Both teams were tied 3-3 in regulation time. Results Third placing: France 3 S. Korea 3 (France won 3-2 in penalty shootout) 5th placing: Wales 2 Malaysia 1
