LAHORE - Pakistan Development Squad outclassed Oman hockey team 7-0 in the first encounter of the four-match test series played here at the outer ground of the National Hockey Stadium on Tuesday.
Trained by former Pakistan captain and Olympian Tahir Zaman, Oman team failed to impose any threat to the home side and most of the time deployed their force and energy to beef up their fragile defence but the speedy moves of home forwards made inroads in the striking circle and resulted in goals on regular intervals for the delight of a handful crowd.
Rana Abdul Waheed emerged as hero of the match as he completed his impressive hat-trick while Rana Suhail, Hammad Anjum, Rizwan Ali and Amjad Ali Khan contributed with one goal apiece for the winning side. Oman team is on a preparatory tour of Pakistan ahead of their participation in the Asia Confederation Hockey Cup in Bangladesh being played from October 14.
The local players started the match in great style and kept on attacking the visitors’ goal till the end, which helped them win the encounter 7-0. Rana Abdul Waheed scored the first goal of the match for home side through a field goal in the 8th minute soon after seven minutes, he doubled the lead through another field goal.
The men in green slammed in two more goals in the next half to take a healthy 4-0 lead. This time Hammad Anjum was the player, who fired in a fabulous field goal in the 19th minute to make it 3-0 while Rana Suhail made it 4-0, when he also struck a field goal in the 26th minute.
The hosts continued their dominance in the third quarter as they added two more goals in their tally, making it 6-0. In the 44th minute, it was Rana Abdul Waheed, who hammered the fifth goal of his side and also completed his well-deserving hat-trick. Soon after two minutes, Rizwan Ali converted a beautiful goal on penalty corner to make it 6-0.
The fourth quarter saw the visitors playing more defensive game, thus conceded just one in the last quarter as the hosts won the match 7-0. Amjad Ali Khan scored the last goal of the match in the 49th minute.
Hafiz Atif Latif and Muhammad Afzal officiated the match as umpires while Hassan Akhtar Rasool and Sohail Ashraf were judges, Shafique Bhatti was technical officer and Muhammad Zahid was reserve umpire. The second match will be played today (Wednesday) here at the same venue (outer ground of National Hockey Stadium).
Pakistan has managed the best security arrangements for the players and officials of visiting side to host the series in a befitting manner. Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Secretary Asif Bajwa, former Olympians Chaudhry Akhtar Rasool, Qasim Khan, Anjum Saeed, Col (R) Asif Naz Khokhar and other former hockey greats and players witnessed the match and lauded the local side for winning the opening match.