Dutch jr hockey team may visit Pakistan next year

LAHORE: Netherlands junior hockey team is likely to visit Pakistan next year to play a series of matches against the national junior side.

“We are in touch with Netherlands and hopefully a series will likely be finalised for next year to be played in Pakistan,” President Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), Brig (rwetd)) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar reported to have said on Tuesday.

To a question, he said that Netherlands have a busy schedule in January, and therefore, the series would be planned accordingly. “The PHF is also in talks with Germany and Malaysia for their teams’ tour of Pakistan, but so far nothing is finalised as we are still in the process of confirming things,” he said.

The hockey federation’s newfound focus on the junior game owes to the fact that Pakistan would be featuring in Junior Asia Cup 2020 and Junior Hockey World Cup 2021. The

national championship would also be held in Lahore from November 28 to December 8. Meanwhile, the 36th National Junior Hockey Championship will start in Lahore from Thursday. All Provincial and Departmental teams will participate in the championship. PHF would scout the talent and widen the base from where a strong and formidable side would be prepared and groomed for the Junior Asia Cup 2020. The players born on and after 1st January 1999 shall be eligible to participate.