Daily Times

LAHORE: Only a few weeks back, Pakistan defender and drag-flicker Sufyan Khan won the FIH Rising Star of the Year award in Muscat, Oman. Now, in Muscat Oman also, he has finished as the top scorer at the Junior Asia Cup where Pakistan finished second. Sufyan, also the team’s vice-captain, had a tally of 12 goals, 10 off penalty corners and two off penalty strokes. Sufyan scored two hat tricks against Malaysia and Bangladesh. He was also ‘Player of the Match’ in Pakistan’s opening encounter against China. In the final, Pakistan lost to India 3-5. Sufyan converted both the penalty corners that came Pakistan’s way. In comparison, India scored three of their goals from six penalty corners. Had the Pakistan forwards earned more penalty corners, the result of the final might have been different. The Bannu-boy is one of five players in this Pakistan junior side who graduated from Dar Hockey Academy.