Oman faced a difficult start to the Men’s and Women’s Asian Hockey5s 2026 as strong performances from Pakistan and Iran set the tone on Monday, the opening day of the championship in Muscat. The tournament, running from July 20 to 25, serves as the Asian qualifier for the FIH Hockey5s Under-18 World Cup.
The first day featured nine matches across men’s and women’s Elite and Challenger categories, producing a total of 72 goals—36 goals each in the men’s and women’s competitions.
In the Men’s Elite category, the host nation Oman suffered a 5-0 loss to Pakistan in the tournament opener. Pakistan asserted dominance early and maintained defensive solidity to shut out Oman. Though Oman was unable to score, the experience provided valuable exposure for their young players against one of Asia’s leading hockey nations. Oman’s women’s team also began their campaign with a 6-0 defeat to Pakistan in the Women’s Challenger category. Pakistan’s women showed attacking precision and strong defense to limit the hosts’ scoring chances.
Pakistan consolidated their position in the Men’s Elite category with a 5-2 victory over Bangladesh in their second match of the day, securing two wins from two games while scoring 10 goals and conceding only twice. India also started positively in the Elite men’s competition, posting a 7-3 win against Bangladesh in an entertaining match marked by fast attacking play and clinical finishing from the Indian side. Bangladesh, despite demonstrating attacking potential by scoring five goals in two matches, remained without points after losses to Pakistan and India.
In the Men’s Challenger category, Iran emerged as the dominant team with two commanding wins without conceding a goal. Iran defeated Iraq 5-0 in their opening match before recording a 9-0 victory over Saudi Arabia, the largest margin of victory on the opening day. These results highlighted Iran’s strong attacking capability and disciplined defensive structure. A total of 36 goals were scored across the five men’s matches on day one.
China delivered the most decisive result in the Women’s Elite category, routing Uzbekistan 12-0. Displaying controlled teamwork and clinical finishing, China maintained dominance throughout the match. India also recorded a strong start in the women’s Elite division, overcoming Kazakhstan 8-3 in a high-scoring encounter. Kazakhstan later earned their first win by defeating Uzbekistan 5-2. Pakistan completed the list of winners in the women’s competition with their 6-0 victory against Oman in the Challenger category.
The championships continue in Muscat as teams look to improve their standings and advance toward qualification for the FIH Hockey5s Under-18 World Cup.