PHF planning events to keep players busy throughout 2021

KARACHI: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) is making a calendar for the year 2021 keeping in view the fact that the chances of senior and junior teams of participating in any bilateral or trilateral international series are bleak because of COVID-19.

PHF wants to organise maximum domestic hockey tournaments so that the players get match practice which is their biggest lacking in current scenario, ‘The News’ learnt on Monday. Sources said that Pakistan juniors lack experience of high-pressure matches. It is not possible for PHF to arrange a bilateral series with any country, particularly because the players will have to remain quarantined for 14 days before any such series.

The PHF has conceived a plan to engage the players throughout next year so that they are tough physically and mentally. Sources said that PHF would hold a tournament when Pakistan juniors return after playing the Junior Asia Cup in Bangladesh in January so that senior players who are to participate in the Asian Hockey Championship in March, also in Bangladesh, get some match practice.

Sources pointed out that Junior Hockey World Cup would be held later in 2021 and Pakistan would again face the problem of lack of match practice. Therefore, PHF is making a calendar to strengthen the domestic hockey so that Pakistan senior, junior and other age-group teams play maximum number of matches. Sources said that new synthetic turfs laid in various small cities and towns would be utilised for these domestic events.