PHF to hold second physical fitness test soon

KARACHI: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) will announce the schedule of physical fitness tests in a few days, ‘The News’ learnt on Thursday.

PHF has already announced that they will organise the test every month to maintain the fitness level of the players.

It has to be mentioned that last month when first physical fitness test was conducted, many senior players, including Pakistan captain Rizwan Senior, goalkeeper Amjad Ali, midfielder Azfar Yaqoob, midfielder Rana Sohail and forward Rana Waheed, were found unfit.

There would be a chance for those who did not perform well in the first test and so failed to get central contracts, sources said.

It is expected that a couple of new players would also appear in the test, they added.

It is expected that 32 players will appear in the fitness test in which different advanced methods would be used, including yoyo test.

The two-day test will be conducted under the supervision of chairman selection committee Olympian Manzoor Junior and senior team coach Olympian Khwaja Junaid.

The sources said that it is yet to be decided whether the test would be conducted before Navy’s domestic hockey tournament, which is scheduled in Karachi form September 4.

Meanwhile, the chances of Asian Champions Trophy in Bangladesh from October 1-9 are getting dimmer with each passing day because so far neither the Bangladesh Hockey Federation nor Asian Hockey Federation has sent any intimation for the event. Sources said that it seemed that this event would once again be affected due to Covid-19.