PM Shehbaz rewards Pakistan Hockey team with PKR 1.5 million each after World Cup qualification

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced a cash prize of PKR 1.5 million for each member of the Pakistan hockey team following their successful qualification for the Hockey World Cup after an eight-year gap.

The national side secured their place in the 2026 World Cup during the qualifiers held in Egypt, marking a significant turnaround for the sport in the country.

Upon their arrival at Islamabad Airport, the players were greeted with a warm welcome, attended by Federal Parliamentary Secretary Kiran Dar, officials from the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination, and representatives of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF).

The team was honoured with flower petals, garlands, and bouquets in celebration of their achievement.

PHF President Mohyuddin Wani met with the squad and coaching staff, lauding their performance and stressing the importance of rigorous preparation ahead of upcoming international fixtures.

As part of their build-up to the World Cup, Pakistan is set to feature in the Pro Hockey League, where they will face Belgium, Spain, India and England in warm-up matches.

The 2026 Hockey World Cup is scheduled to commence on 14 August and will be jointly hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands. Pakistan's qualification ends an eight-year drought on the global stage.

Notably, the Green Shirts came close to maintaining an unbeaten run throughout the FIH World Cup qualifiers but fell 4-1 to England in the final. Nevertheless, their campaign was largely impressive, having remained undefeated during the group stages.

Their journey began with a gripping 5-4 victory over China, in which Rana Waheed scored twice. This was followed by a commanding 5-3 win against Malaysia and a 4-2 triumph over Austria, with Abu Mahmood netting a brace.

The pivotal moment came in the semi-finals, where Pakistan secured a tense 4-3 victory over Japan to book their ticket to the World Cup for the first time since 2022.