Pak juniors to stay in Australia for four months

KARACHI: Pakistan junior hockey team’s four-month tour of Australia has been confirmed. They will not only participate in the national junior championship of Australia, but also play in leagues in different states, ‘The News’ learnt on Tuesday.

Pakistan junior team’s chief coach Olympian Kamran Ashraf said that it was the first time that a Pakistan team would participate in the domestic event of Australia. “Our junior team will participate in the Australian junior championship from April 19-29,” said Kamran.

The decision to this effect was taken because the Green-shirts have had lack of international exposure for a long time.

Since India’s deliberate move to stop Pakistan junior team from participating in the Junior World Cup in 2016, the team has not been active. All its hard work was wasted because of that.

“This was a great loss for Pakistan who had made extensive preparation, but on the pretext of late submission of Pakistani players’ passport for visas, IHF did not allow Pakistan to participate in the World cup,” he said.

PHF decided that the junior team should play in the Australian junior championship as well as with their state teams.

Kamran said that Australian hockey was considered the toughest domestic competition in the world.  “Our boys have been deprived of events like World Cup and other international matches. They will learn a lot by playing there,” he said.

“After the junior championship in Australia, they will join various Australian state teams to participate in the league hockey. These four months will prepare them for tough hockey and improve their skills a lot,” he said.

Pakistan juniors are to play Junior Asia Cup in September this year. Their training camp is in full swing these days.

Kamran said the junior team would leave the country in the second week of April. They would stay in Australia till September, he added.

“Australia are the world champions.  Their domestic hockey is considered the toughest in the world. Around 100 players from India go every year to play in Australian domestic hockey,” he said.