HULUNBUIR CITY   -  Pakistan was held to a 2-2 draw by South Korea in the fourth match of the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy in Inner Mongolia, China. This marks the second consecutive draw for Pakistan in the tournament.

South Korea broke the deadlock in the final moments of the second quarter, with Hyun Jigwang finding the back of the net. Their lead held strong through the third quarter, and it seemed Pakistan was on the brink of suffering their first defeat in the tournament.

However, the Green Shirts staged an incredible comeback in the final minutes, as Shahid Hanan struck twice in quick succession,  giving Pakistan what looked like a decisive advantage. But in a heartbreaking twist, with just seconds left before the final whistle, Kim Sunghyun equalized for South Korea, denying Pakistan a well-deserved victory.

This result mirrored Pakistan’s opening match against Malaysia, where they also ended up with a 2-2 draw after leading for much of the game.In other matches on Monday, India dominated Japan with a 5-1 victory, while China defeated Malaysia 2-0.

The ongoing tournament is the 8th edition of the Asian Champions Trophy. Pakistan have won the tournament in 2012 and 2013, while India have won in 2011, 2016 and 2023. The 2018 edition saw Pakistan and India jointly sharing the trophy as the final was forfeited due to persistent rain. Defending champions India won the prestigious tournament last year by defeating Malaysia 4–3 in the final.