Pakistan, May 23 -- The Under-18 Asia Hockey Cup starts in Kakamigahara, Japan, from May 29. Pakistan Under-18 team captain Asam Haider and vice-captain Hassan Akbar both hail from Kot Radha Kishan. This small town, located in the Kasur district, has a population of approximately 150,000. There is only one hockey club, the city club.

The first player to wear the coveted green shirt from Kot Radha Kishan is Abdul Rahman, who debuted for the Pakistan Juniors in 2021 and later played for the national team in 2023 - 2024. Asam Haider is Abdul Rahman's younger brother.

Abdul Rahman was a product of the Lahore-based Dar Hockey Academy, Pakistan's biggest reservoir of talent for more than a decade. Seeing big brother making rapid strides, Asam...