Trials for Olympic hockey qualifiers today

KARACHI: Pakistan hockey team’s trials for Olympic 2020 qualifiers will be held at the National Hockey Stadium in Lahore on Friday (today).

The trials will begin at 3:00 pm. The selection committee will pick players from the trials ahead of Greenshirts’ upcoming tour of Germany and Netherlands. Pakistan will play two friendly matches against Germany on October 21 and 23. They will then depart for Netherlands to compete in the Olympic qualifying matches against the hosts on October 26 and 27.

Manager-cum-head coach Khawaja Junaid told ‘The News’ on Thursday that players participating in foreign hockey leagues have also reached to join the training camp and appear in trials.

The players who featured in foreign hockey leagues include Shakeel Ammad Butt, Samiullah Rashid Mehmood, Rizwan, Mubashir, Ali Shan and Abubakar. “A match will be organised among 35 probables and if the selection committee requests, we will hold further tests to check the form and fitness of the players,” Junaid said. “The 18-member team for Germany tour and Olympic qualifiers may also be announced after the trials”, he said. “According to FIH rules, two goalkeepers must also be included in the squad,” he added.