LAHORE: Uzbekistan emerged winners of the Pakistan leg of the first round of the Haier-FIH Hockey Series Open here on Saturday. In the last match of the 4-nation single league at the National Hockey Stadium, Lahore, Uzbekistan had an easy 6-2 win over Kazakhstan in the end. Both the teams had won their matches against the other two sides, Nepal and Afghanistan, in the competition. So this match was a virtual final. As Uzbekistan had a better goal difference, they only required a draw to lift the trophy. Uzbekistan were easily the better side in the first quarter when they did everything other than scoring. A number of open play chances were squandered. In the early phase of the second quarter, surprisingly Kazakhstan went ahead. They earned two penalty corners and went ahead via the second through Nurbol Kozhym in the 18th minute, the Uzbeks equalised through the same route as Khakimov converted a PC. Three minutes, before the change of the sides, Uzbekistan’s brilliant forward Karimov Ruslan made it 2-1 finishing a good combined move. In the 36th minute, Ruslan scored one of the finest goals of this event. In a remarkable dribbling run, he eliminated three players before slotting it in. Within two minutes, it was 4-1 as on a beautiful Ruslan pass, Khaytboev applied a good finish. Kazakhstan immediately reduced the margin. Their captain Daulet Urmanov in an exhilarating run covered almost half the pitch, going past a number of defenders. Well inside the opponent’s circle he sent a parallel ball which was put in by diving Tilek Uzbek. Irresistible Ruslan created another goal. After a double 1-2 with Ruslan, Nazarov sent it past the Kazakh goal keeper. Kazakhstan had the best opportunity to make it 3-5 just before the end of the third quarter but Yermik Tashkeyev wasted the penalty stroke. In the last quarter, off a penalty corner variation, Nazarov had his second and Uzbekistan’s sixth goal. Chief guest Tayyab Ikram, CEO of Asian Hockey Federation, gave gold medals to the members of the winning Uzbekistan team. Published in Daily Times, December 23rd 2018.