PHF to hire fitness trainer

ISLAMABAD: A reputed international fitness trainer will be hired by the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) to help national players in preparation for forthcoming commitments and to train budding players.

A meeting chaired by PHF President Brigadier (r) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar was held in Lahore on Tuesday. Secretary Asif Bajwa, chief selector Manzoor Junior and senior team’s head coach Khawaja Junaid also attended the meeting, which was held to decide on the future course of action regarding the uplift of hockey in Pakistan.

“It has been decided that a high quality trainer will be hired at the earliest to train our players and physically prepare them for international commitments. Fitness is key to success in hockey and we have decided to invest in it,” a PHF official told ‘The News’ after the meeting.

Bajwa later said other decisions were also taken for the uplift of the national sport.

“Pakistan are to compete in the Junior Asia Cup in Dhaka in January and then the Asian Champions Trophy, also in Dhaka in March next year. We need to keep our players physically fit. We are exploring the possibility of hiring an international trainer, most likely someone who has previously worked with an international or top level hockey team. In all probability, we will get one within a month,” Bajwa said.

The PHF secretary said the meeting also decided to generate maximum hockey activities at the national level. “We have decided to put all juniors in a physical fitness training camp at PT School Abbottabad from September 20. This is very important considering the coming Asia Cup,” he said.

There are also plans to have a senior team fitness camp, but possibly that will be organised later. “We are at the moment concentrating to hold the National Championship in a couple of months. Probables selected from that tournament will attend the training camp,” he said.

Bajwa said the meeting also considered options of holding international tournaments. “Since Pakistan is the safest country Covid-19 wise in South Asia we are planning to take up the matter with the Asian Hockey Federation. We are all set to make progress in this direction.”