Hockey training camp to be held in Abbottabad

KARACHI: An important meeting of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) high officials was held at PHF secretariat in Lahore, chaired by president Khalid Sajjad Khokar, on Tuesday.

The meeting was attended by PHF secretary Asif Bajwa, chairman national selection committee Olympian Manzoor Junior, and national senior team head coach Khwaja Junaid.

The meeting discussed at length the future planning of Pakistan hockey and implementation of PM Imran Khan’s directives about domestic and international activities, sources said.

Some important decisions were taken in the meeting for the promotion and development of the game in the light of the PM’s directives, whom the PHF high officials met last week.

The meeting also discussed the preparation for the five-a-side tournament which is to be held in Karachi later this month, and the training camp of Pakistan team for qualifying rounds of World Cup in Abbottabad.

Sources said that PHF has plans to organise the senior team’s three-week physical training camp in Abbottabad. Its schedule is yet to be announced. The names of the players for the camp will be announced by PHF in a couple of days.

The meeting also reviewed the possibilities of Pakistan hockey’s first professional hockey league.

The PM in the meeting with the PHF high officials last week said that Pakistan Hockey League (PHL) should be organised along the lines of Pakistan Supreme League (PSL). He also urged the PHF to establish regional teams to lift the standard of the game.

Sources said that the second phase of the training camp would be held in Karachi.

It is pertinent to mention here that the condition of the PHF’s Abdul Sattar Edhi hockey stadium is not conducive for the camp.

Sources said that there would be no clash of dates of the training camp of Pakistan hockey team and the five-a-side tournament.