Team for Junior Asia Cup to be announced today

KARACHI: Pakistan junior hockey team’s trials began at DHA academy in Lahore on Wednesday.

The Junior Asia Cup is scheduled to be held in Oman from May 23-June 1.The chairman selection committee Olympian Kaleemullah, along with the members of the committee, held the trials.

During the trials, matches were organised among the players who were part of the training camp to check the form and fitness of the players. The committee will announce an 18-member team on Thursday (today) after getting the approval of PHF president Brig (rtd) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar.

The management would also be named along with the team, sources said. The Junior Asia Cup is an important event keeping in view the future of Pakistan hockey at international level. Three teams from the event in Oman will qualify for the Junior World Cup.

Germany’s hockey great Roland Oltmans joined the training camp of the Green-shirts in Lahore last week.Oltmans will give the final touches to the preparation process of the Greenshirts.

The junior boys after the announcement of the team will remain in Lahore till the departure for Oman, likely on May 19 or 20. The Green-shirts will play one practice match before the Asia Cup 2023, against South Korea on May 21.

The juniors will play some practice matches in Lahore during the remaining days with a team consisting of Pakistan international hockey players.It has to be mentioned here that Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) failed to organise matches against foreign teams for giving the boys experience of international hockey before the Asia Cup 2023