Pakistan’s junior hockey team has qualified for the Sultan of Johor Cup final after holding Japan to a 2-2 draw in their last round-robin match at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium in Johor Bahru.

The Green Shirts came from behind twice, with Hamza Fayyaz scoring in the 34th minute and Ghulam Mustafa equalizing in the 43rd minute to secure a crucial point.

Both teams finished the league stage with seven points and an identical goal difference of +8. However, Pakistan advanced to the final on goals scored, having netted 18 compared to Japan’s 16.

Pakistan ended the preliminary round with two wins, one draw, and one defeat. They started their campaign with an 8-3 victory over China and a 6-2 win against Canada before suffering a narrow 3-2 defeat to hosts Malaysia.

Pakistan will now face unbeaten Malaysia in the final on Saturday at the same venue. The hosts had already secured their place in the title clash.

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