Pakistan hockey team Tuesday conceded defeat by South Africa with a margin of four goals to one in its opening match of the Sultan Azlan Shah hockey tournament in Ipoh, Malaysia.

According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, Trevor de Lora gave South Africa the lead in the 24th minute, which was doubled by Connor Beauchamp two minutes later.

Meanwhile, Senzwesihle Ngubane and Cameron Le Forestier scored the third and fourth goals for their side in the 37th and 42nd minutes of the match, respectively. Pakistan scored a consolation goal in the 46th minute of the encounter through Abdul Shahid.  Pakistan will play its second match in the tournament against hosts Malaysia on Wednesday, November 2.

Talking to the 24NewsHD, Mubasher Mukhtar, an international hockey player

Said that the reason for Pakistan's decline in hockey is the lack of hockey at the grass root level. “Pakistan Hockey Federation should make arrangements for playing hockey at the grass root level, he added.

He said that several good players are not present in the team due to financial constraints. Now, the federation seems helpless reading the performance of the team, Mubasher Mukhtar concluded.