PHF to give players plans for training in home cities

KARACHI: In the light of WHO and Pakistan government directives regarding preventive measures to combat coronavirus pandemic, Pakistan Hockey Federation has postponed all training programmes.

instead training plans will be sent to players so that they could continue training in their home cities, ‘The News’ learnt on Saturday.

Informed sources said that the PHF president Brig (rtd) Khalid Sajjad Khokar, secretary Olympian Asif Bajwa and selection committee members would meet and conceive a training plan for the players who were to attend training camps. The plan will include details about physical training, hockey skills, and diet, and will be communicated through Whatsapp, email or some other means. This will ensure that the players do not get off the track, the sources said. The PHF president, secretary and national selection committee members would meet in a couple of days.

The team management including coaches, assistant coaches and physical trainers would be responsible to implement the training plan by keeping in touch with players regularly.

The sources said that training camps were unlikely to be held in near future. Neither was there any possibility of any foreign tour for training purposes. Sultan Azlan Shah hockey tournament has already been postponed and no country is ready to play international matches.

The sources further said that PHF had planned five-a-a-side events for when the situation was better. Such events are feasible because they don’t require large gatherings, but can still maintain the form and fitness of the players.

Sultan Azlan Shah hockey tournament is now likely to be held in September or October.