Pakistan suffer defeat in FIH Pro League campaign opener

Defending champions Netherlands opened their FIH Pro League campaign with a commanding 5–2 victory over debutants Pakistan at the Santiago del Estero Hockey Club in Argentina.

Pakistan stunned the Dutch early, taking the lead through a moment of brilliance from Hannan Shahid.

The young forward carved his way in from the left flank, slicing through the Dutch defence before smashing his shot past Mauritz Visser to announce Pakistan’s arrival in the competition.

But the Netherlands, seasoned campaigners and among the favourites once again, settled quickly.

A sharp tackle from Thierry Brinkman triggered their first major surge down the right, with Koen Bijen finding space upfront to level the score before the end of the first quarter.

Just moments before the break, Timo Boers made it 2–1 with a tidy penalty-corner strike, the first sign of what would become the decisive difference between the sides.

Pakistan hockey team refused to fade, and early in the second quarter, Sufyan Khan dragged his team back into the contest with a penalty-corner conversion to make it 2–2 at half-time.

The match, though, ultimately shifted in the third quarter as the Dutch showcased their set-piece precision.

Tijmen Reyenga restored their lead with another penalty-corner finish, and Boers added his second of the match shortly after, again from a dead-ball situation.

Duco Telgenkamp then produced a sharp finish from the baseline to stretch the advantage to 5–2, completing a dominant period for the defending champions.

Reyenga’s impact on both ends of the field earned him the Player of the Match award, as the Netherlands closed out the final quarter with composure and control.

Pakistan, despite the defeat, showed glimpses of their potential and will now turn their attention to the remaining fixtures of the mini-tournament.

They face hosts Argentina on December 12, meet the Netherlands again on December 13, and wrap up their first Pro League outing against Argentina on December 15.