Pakistan hockey training camp for Australia tour from today

KARACHI: Pakistan senior hockey team will start training for the four-nation tournament in Australia form Wednesday (today) at Abdul Sattar Hockey Stadium.

The PHF has already directed 22 players to report at the camp.

The four-nation tournament will be played in the second week of this month. The other two teams in the event will be Japan and New Zealand. Chief coach Farhat Khan said that boys would start reporting at the camp from Tuesday night and from the very next day start training.

He said that the boys were already in shape because they recently appeared in the Asia Cup and had been training continuously before that. “They only have to maintain their fitness and overcome their weaknesses as identified in the Asia Cup, especially missing of goal-scoring chances and PC drills,” he said.

He said the training camp would continue till the departure of the team to Australia. Farhat said that the experience of Asia Cup would help them in the four-nation tournament where all three opponents are tough. “The Green-shirts need to compete against such opponents so that they got some worthwhile experience of international hockey,” he added.

Pakistan ended third in the Asia Cup, defeating South Korea 6-3 in the match for the third place. Pakistan lost two important matches in which they had taken lead. The victory against South Korea was their only big achievement in the event.

A former player said Pakistan should have qualified for the final of Asia Cup at least. The PHF sources said that head coach Farhat would submit the report about the team’s performance next week.

In the light of his report, PHF would make the future plans for the team, the sources said. Meanwhile, PHF is going to start the preparation for World XI’s tour to Pakistan in December. The tour is part of PHF’s efforts to revive international hockey in the country.The World XI will play three matches: in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi. PHF high officials have claimed the world XI would have renowned players.