A wardrobe malfunction didn’t deter the first-ever women’s team representing Pakistan at the 2025 Amerigol LATAM Cup on Sunday.
The Pakistani women defeated Chile 16-2 in a Division II game at the Florida Panthers IceDen while wearing white jerseys that were borrowed from Pakistan’s men’s Division III team because theirs were stuck somewhere in customs in Philadelphia.
“We were playing with jerseys with names on the back we had written with a Sharpie,” Pakistan coach Mariya Rauf said. “I think we all wanted it to go well, but no one was expecting what we did out there. It was incredible to watch and emotional for me as a Pakistani girl playing from such a young age. Just seeing all those girls come together and win together was just so amazing.”
The 2025 Amerigol LATAM Cup features 62 women’s, men’s and youth teams (with four more exhibition teams) and more than 1,450 players representing 17 countries and territories, including Argentina, Armenia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Greece, Israel, Lebanon, Mexico and Puerto Rico. The tournament, which is being held at the IceDen and Palm Beach Skate Zone in Wellington, Florida, began on Sunday and ends on Aug. 24.
© Michael Simonetti
The Pakistani women’s team is the vision of Donny Khan, who is the NHL’s senior director of hockey development and strategic collaboration. He formed a Pakistani men’s team that debuted at the LATAM Cup last year after attending the tournament for work in previous years.
“We found pretty much any person of Pakistani descent that could skate and had a pulse, and we had such a fun time that I immediately wanted to start a women’s team and an Under-16 team,” Khan said. “For me, this is about highlighting Pakistan in a positive way through a sport that I’m really passionate about.”
Khan and his daughter, Riley, scoured hockey websites and social media searching for women hockey players. In the end, they found 12 skaters and two goalies, ranging from 12 to 27 years old, from Canada and the United States. They also recruited a coach in Rauf, who is entering her junior year as a forward for Yale University.
“I was like, ‘There’s no way there’s going to be a Pakistani girl’s team,’” Rauf said. “Kind of just hearing that, it doesn’t make sense to you because Pakistani women playing sports is not really common … and when you look at a sport like ice hockey, it’s even more of a shock when you hear Pakistani ice hockey and then women’s ice hockey on top of that. I was really excited to get involved with this and just be a part of it in any way that I could.”
© Michael Simonetti
So was Zoya Quraishi, a 12-year-old forward from Ashburn, Virginia, who had an assist in the win against Chile.
“I hope that girls in Pakistan are encouraged to play hockey,” she said. “It means a lot to represent my parents and represent my heritage, and I think it’s very important for the country of Pakistan to have this representation right now and be involved in so many sports. And every Pakistani living in North America will, I hope, be more connected to their heritage.”
Zoya’s mother, Juwairyah Khalid, said she was fielding phone calls during and after the game, which was streamed on AMERIGOLHockeyTV, the tournament’s platform that broadcasts live games for free.
“My phone keeps ringing, and grandparents are just over the moon,” Khalid said. “It’s incredible the outpouring of love and excitement. We have (251.3) million people in Pakistan, and it feels like they’re pushing forward and they’re so excited.”
