Training camp for Pro League: PHF asks players to report on Friday

KARACHI: PHF associate secretary Olympian Ayaz Mehmood has said that the preparation for the training camp of Pakistan team has been finalised and the players have been directed to report by Friday at National Hockey Stadium, in Lahore to the newly-appointed team management.

Ayaz, who took over after the resignation of Shahbaz Ahmed, told ‘The News’ that he had reached Lahore and assumed the responsibilities at PHF secretariat. He said he was giving the final touches to the training camp arrangements.

He said that assistant coaches Rehan Butt and Danish Kaleem were already there and team manager-cum-head coach Saeed Khan would also arrive before the training camp starts. He said that he could not say when the camp would be shifted to Karachi.

The Los Angeles Olympic gold medallist Ayaz Mehmood categorically said that PHF would not include those players who were overage and had lost their form and fitness. Meanwhile, it was learnt that due to meager financial resources, PHF would continue with the existing coaching staff.

Former greats of hockey are uncertain about whether the current bosses of PHF would remain in their office and if they did whether they would get enough funds from the government. One of those whom PHF had contacted to take up the head coach position said he was reluctant to join the training camp. He told PHF he would decide about it in February.

But there are many who are lobbying to get some position with the Pakistan senior and junior teams or in the selection committee.

PHF starts goalkeepers coaching camp in Karachi

KARACHI: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has called 13 goalkeepers from all over Pakistan to attend a 15-day coaching and training camp at Abdul Sattar Edhi Hockey Stadium, Karachi, which began from Wednesday.

Olympian Shahid Ali Khan is the Camp Commandant. Olympian Nasir Ali will assist him. A comprehensive scientific training programe has been chalked out for the camp. There will be two sessions a day. The players called are Amjad Ali- SSGC, Mazhar Abbas-NBP, Muneeb-ur-Rehman-SSGC, Waqar Younis-ZTBL, Waleed Akhtar-Bannu, Adil Rao-Navy, Akmal Hussain-Punjab,Hafiz Ali Umair-SNGPL, Ali Haider- Fauji Foundation, Usman Ghani- Railways, Ali Raza-NBP, Usman Malik-NBP, M Naeem-Quetta.