Greenshirts trials on July 15-16

KARACHI: Trials for the selection of senior Pakistan hockey team for participation in the Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai, India, are likely to be held on July 15 and16 in Lahore, The News has learnt.

Sources in the PHF said that Olympian Kaleem Ullah-led selection committee will conduct the trials.

The Asian Champions Trophy will be organised from August 3-12 and six teams of Asia will participate in the event: Pakistan, China, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan and India.

It has to be mentioned that Pakistan senior hockey team will participate in any international hockey events after a seven months gap. Last time they participated in 8-nation hockey tournament in South Africa.

The Greenshirts training is already going on in Lahore, Where they are getting training under Pakistani coaches. There is no foreign coach. The Asian Champions Trophy will be a great test for Pakistani coaches because during the tenure of last two foreign coaches Pakistan team despite facing a lot of hurdles won two medals and improved the world ranking.

Sources said that former Olympian Rehan Butt, Olympian Muhammad Saqlain and Olympian Abdul Haseem Khan are the leading coaches of Pakistan in the training camp but surprisingly no penalty corner specialist coach has been appointed.

Some four emerging PC specialist players are participating in the training camp.

PHF has already shortlisted 25 players from the first phase of the training camp in which 45 players participated.

The Asian champions’ trophy is the last opportunity to test the skills of the players and identify their shortcomings before the Asian Games 2023 in China. The Asian Games for Pakistan hockey team is most important event as far as its qualification for the Paris Olympics 2024 is concerned. If Pakistan did not win in the Asian Games, Greenshirts would have to play qualifying rounds for the Paris Olympics 2024.