Lahore, Karachi set to host World XI hockey matches

LAHORE: International hockey is coming back to Pakistan after a long time and in a big way. The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) collaborated to have a World XI hockey team tour to Pakistan, comprising stars from hockey’s top nations. World XI comprising stars from hockey’s top nations will be playing two high profile matches against Pakistan’s national team in Karachi and Lahore on January 19 and 21 respectively.

Globally-recognised players from Germany, Australia, Netherlands, Spain, Argentina, China, New Zealand and Belgium will be touring Pakistan for a four-day visit in a bid to revive international hockey in Pakistan. The three Argentines are young members of their current national team.

Australian Grant Schubert has gold medals from all the big title events: Olympics, World Cup and Commonwealth Games. Three Dutch players have Olympic as well as European Championship medals. A fourth, the 19 year old Turkstra, played in the 2016 Olympics.

Likewise, two Spaniards have Olympic silver and European gold in their trophy cabinet. Phil Burrows is New Zealand’s all-time top field goal scorer. Germany’s Benni Wess is double Olympic gold medallist. The other German Justus Scharowsky is a World Cup winner.

Pride of Pakistan Sohail Abbas, scorer of the highest number of goals in international hockey, will also play for the World XI. Sohail is still very fit and plays in Pakistan’s domestic circuit. Hockey is our national sport but has seen little progress in the sport as a whole and has seen no matches in recent years. From the glory days where Hockey was the main sport of Pakistan and produced some of the most coveted names like Sohail Abbas, the Hockey World XI tour aims to revive Hockey in the country with league matches to follow up later.

PHF president Khalid Sajjad Khokhar said. The World Xi players includes Kylie, David Alegre, Juan Escarre, Santi Freixa of Spain, Agustin Burgallo, Diego Paz, Roc Oliva of Argentina, Hidde Turkstra, Philip Muelenbroek, Roderick Weusthof, Rob Reckers, Matthijs Brouwer, Rob Lathouwers, Floris Bovelander of Netherlands, Benjamin Wess, Christian Blunck, Justus Scharowsky of Germany, Phil Burrows, Kyle Pontifex of New Zealand, and Grant Shubert.

A special function will also be held in Karachi to honour foreign and home players with their induction in the Hall of Fame. Talking about the event Khokhar said: “The prime objective of induction of players in ‘hall of fame’ is to develop a new culture in Pakistan hockey and to give recognition to those foreign and home players, who excelled in the game at the highest level.”

PHF is hopeful that with friendly matches like these and the arrival of hockey players from all around the world, it will help bring back international hockey to Pakistan. And most importantly will instill confidence and hope in our national hockey players which right now is the need of the hour.