Junior Hockey Asia Cup in Oman from May 23

KARACHI: The ninth edition of Men’s Junior Asia Cup is set to take place in Oman from May 23 to June 1, after being rescheduled twice due to Covid-19, as announced by the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF).

The event will also serve as a gateway to secure a direct berth to the Junior World Cup 2023 for top three finishing teams.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Secretary Haider Hussain said that 30-35 probables for the Junior Asia Cup’s training camp will be announced after the Ramadan-scheduled under-20 Qalandars championship.

“The probables will not only include players who are already part of the national circuit, but also the players unearthed from the under-20 event,” Haider revealed.

“Junior Asia Cup holds great importance for Pakistan, as it is the gateway for securing a direct spot in the Junior World Cup,” Haider said.

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan didn’t participate in the last two junior world cups – 2016 and 2021.

They failed to qualify in 2016, while for the later visa issue created hindrance.

“The preparations for the Junior Asia Cup and the World Cup are well underway,” Haider added.

Before the Asia Cup, PHF wants Greenshirts to get some international matches.

“For that purpose, we are in contact with the Malaysian Hockey Federation to organise a test series,” Haider said.

For the Junior Asia Cup, the participants should have been born on or after January 1, 2002, being 21 years old or less.

PHF has already selected players for the Asia Cup and they have been sent to the senior team’s training camp to get competitive practice.

The 10 teams taking part in the continental championship are Bangladesh, Chinese Taipei, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Thailand, and Uzbekistan.