PHF picks players for training camp

KARACHI: The open trials for the selection of players for training camp ahead of Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Hockey Tournament have completed in Peshawar.

The event will be held in Ipoh, Malaysia, from April 6 to 16.

The camp will be established at Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium, Islamabad, from February 24.

The PHF organised open trials in Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar in which any player from across the country could appear.

The PHF’s national selection committee has short-listed around 130 players for the training camp.

PHF secretary Shahbaz Ahmed, when contacted, told ‘The News’ that the selection committee had selected the players to participate in the first phase of the training camp.

The first phase will be held for five days during which selection committee members will shortlist around 40 players for the next phase.

The selection committee will select the players in consultation with the senior team’s management.

Shahbaz said that the second phase would also be held in Islamabad and continue for two weeks. In the second phase, the focus would be on physical training and grooming, he added.

After a few days rest, the third phase would be held in Lahore for four weeks, said the PHF secretary.

Shahbaz said that after the announcement of the team for the Malaysia tour, PHF would organise a three-match series between the seniors and the juniors in Lahore, Sialkot and Karachi.

The final dates of these matches are yet to be decided.

It may be noted here that after the failure to qualify for the Rio Olympics 2016, Sultan Azlan Shah tournament is the first major hockey event for the seniors.

“Our main target is to qualify for the World Cup and this is our first step towards our goal,” Shahbaz said.

Meanwhile, PHF has directed the following players to report to the Camp Commandant at Naseer Bunda Stadium on February 24.

Sindh, Balochistan:

Goalkeepers: Shakeel, Port Qasim, Nasir Ali, Hamza, Quetta, Waqas, Karachi.

Full backs: Munawar Kakar, Quetta, Asfand Yar, Nayyar Haider and Sibtain Raza, Karachi.

Halves: Noman Siddiqui, Ali Musarrat, Abdul Sattar, Waqar Ahmad, M Sajeer, Zahir Hassan.

Forwards: Khizar Akhtar, Yasir Ali, Zohaib Khan, Shahrukh Burney, Awais Khan, Hammad Mustafa, Nawaz Ahmad, Junaid Iqbal, Ayaz, Raheel Hassan, Alley Hassan, Ahad, Zonair Khan and Fahad Khan.

Punjab:

Goalkeepers: Khurram, WAPDA, Ali Haider, PIA, Amin Yousaf, Sajjad

Ali, Army, Sajjad Abbas, PTV,

Adnan Shakoor and Afzal Shah, Okara.

Full backs: Khalid Bhatti, Customs, M Imran, Army, Asad Aziz, Navy, Nawaz Ashraf, SSGC, Sultan Amir, Navy, Hafiz Saeed, Sadiq Saleem, Hasan Obaid, Aamir Shahzad and Imran Abbas, PIA.

Halves: Saleem Nazim, Customs, Faisal Qadir, Abdul Ghaffar, Mohsin Bilal, Hafiz Hassan, Kashif Javaid, Usman Aslam, Usman Tanveer, Mian Usman, Siddique Salman, Kasur, Khalil Ahmad, Kamran, Navy, Usman Baloch, Zohaib Ashraf, WAPDA Aamir Yaqoob.

Forwards: Shafqat Rasool, Waqas Sharif, Rashid Mahmood, Rizwan Senior, Rana Umair, Akbar Ali, Touseeq Arshad, NBP, Yasir, Irfan Junior, Tayyab Tahir, Zeeshan Bukhari, Sulman Razzik, Muhammad Imran, Muhammad Sabir, Fayyaz Yaqoob, Faisal Rasheed, Musharraf Taqi, Azeem Naveed, Rizwan Ali, Arslan Zaheer, Ejaz Ahmad, Saran Qamar, M Zubair, Hassan Raza, Abdul Khaliq, Ali Ashraf, LHR, Muhammad Owais, Malik Imran, Steel Mill, Arslan Haider, SSGC, Azeem Naveed, Sahiwal, Liaqat, Jhelum.

KP, GB, AJK, FATA, Islamabad:

Goalkeepers: Yasir, Waqas Ahmad Waleed Akhtar

Full backs: Saeed Fayyaz, Majid, Zahid Ullah, Ejaz Ahmad, Salman, Zar Wali.

Halves: Ibrahim, Touseef, Iqrar Ahmad, M Raees, M Salam, Amjad, Shahid Saleem, Umair, Sohail Sheraz, Qaiser Wadood, M Mohsin, Khushal, Abdul Manaf, Junaid.

Forwards: Noman Pervez, Qasim Khan, Khursheed, Amjad Rehman, Arif Ullah, Hameed Ullah, Jamil Bostan, Waqar Ahmad, M Adnan, Zakir Ullah, Hassan Nawaz, Fawwad, Samad, Akbar, Karim Khan, M Adil Zaman, Junaid.