FIH Pro League: Training camp likely to begin in early January

KARACHI: Pakistan hockey team’s training camp for FIH Pro League is likely to start in Karachi or Lahore in the week of January. There would be 50 players in the camp, ‘The News’ learnt on Tuesday.

PHF secretary Shahbaz Ahmed confirmed that the PHF had started the preparation for the training camp which he said would continue for three weeks.

The venue was yet to be decided, he added. He said that they had sent a tentative list of 26 players for the Pro League to FIH. “It is obligatory to send the names many days before the event or we would have to pay a penalty. We can change the names of the players and officials till a couple of days before the event,” the former Pakistan captain clarified.

It has been learnt that the senior players who participated in the World Cup and failed to do well would not be called for the camp. The youngsters who have shown potential of competing at the international level would be part of the training camp, sources in the PHF said.

The Pro League will start from January 19 and continue till June 23. Pakistan will play their first match on February 3, against Argentina. Pakistan will play their “home” games in Argentina, Belgium, England, Germany and the Netherlands.

PHF has still not decided the management of the team. It seeks to appoint a foreign coach for the training camp but due to financial constraints it has not been able to take a final decision so far. PHF has contacted the federal government for release of funds so that extensive training could be initiated.

Hasan Sardar and Tauqeer Dar, who were Pakistan’s manager and head coach at the World Cup, have recommended the appointment of a foreign coach and a physical trainer. Both resigned after the debacle in the World Cup. The PHF executive board’s meeting will be held later this week in Islamabad. It is expected that PHF’s management would face heavy criticism during the meeting.