LAHORE - Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Wednesday announced the 18-member national team to represent the country in the Hockey World Cup 2018 being played from November 28 in Bhubaneswar, India.
The team was named following two days trials which concluded here at the outer ground of the National Hockey Stadium. Twenty five camp players were tested in four sessions of 20 minutes each under the floodlights. The trials were watched by national selection committee comprising Islahuddin Siddique (chief selector), Ayaz Mahmood, Qasim Khan and Mussaddiq Hussain (selectors) while PHF President Brig (R) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar and Secretary Shahbaz Ahmad also witnessed the trials.
M Rizwan Senior will lead the national side with Ammad Shakeel Butt assisting him as vice captain. Pakistan team consist of Imran Butt (goalkeeper), Mazhar Abbas (goalkeeper), M Irfan Sr, Aleem Bilal, Mubashar Ali, M Tauseeq Arshad, Tasawwar Abbas, Rashid Mahmood, Ajaz Ahmed, Ammad Shakeel Butt (vc), M Irfan Jr, M Rizwan Sr (capt), Ali Shan, Faisal Qadir, Abubakr Mahmood, Umar Bhutta, M Atiq Arshad and M Zubair.
The team management comprises Hassan Sardar (manager), Tauqeer Dar (head coach), Rehan Butt and Danish Kaleem (coaches), Nadeem Lodhi (video analyst) and Waqas Mehmood (physiotherapist). Chief selector Islhauddin said that the selected team is a blend of experience and youth. “The team comprise best available hockey talent and performance was the only criteria of selection of players.”
The former hockey Olympian said that past performance of players was also taken into consideration during the selection of the players. He termed the World Cup ‘a tough and challenging event’ as world’s top notch teams will be participating in the mega event. “Our team is pumped up due to its recent title win in the Asian Champions trophy and players are in right mind set to build on to this success,” said the chief selector.
“The team management made its best efforts to overcome gray areas of the team by engaging the players in difficult drills which has boosted the confidence of the players,” he added.
Ishlahuddin said that the PHF is striving for the cause of hockey despite financial problems. “Players are being looked after in good manner during the camp and PHF is taking measures to acknowledge its recent success in the Asian Champions trophy,” he added.
Islah said the selectors have gelled youth with experience in the team keeping an eye on the future of Pakistan hockey. “I don’t want to make tall claims regarding our team’s performance in the World Cup but I am confident that our players will display their best to attain glory for the country.
“We will be playing against the top teams of the world and our team will be aiming to live up to the expectations during the mega hockey event in India,” he added.
Meanwhile, Pakistan hockey team’s recent long-awaited victory at the Asian Champions Trophy in Oman was acknowledged at a dinner reception on Tuesday night here at a local hotel. Former Punjab Hockey Association (PHA) President Pervez Bhandara has arranged the reception, which was sponsored by Mian Hussain Nasir, the owner of Rolustech. Apart from the players and the management of the team, the event was attended by PHF President Brig (R) Khalid Khokhar, Secretary Shahbaz Ahmed, Islahuddin, Hassan Sardar, Taqueer Dar, Ayaz Mahmood and Tahir Zaman.
Mian Hussain Nisar recalled Pakistan hockey’s glorious past. He congratulated the squad for their win at the Asian Champions Trophy. All the players and the members of the team management were presented shields by Rolustech.
President PHF Brig (R) Khalid Khokhar, Pervez Bhandara and Taqueer Dar also spoke on the occasion. They all thanked Mian Hussain Nisar for honouring the hockey team and said that such gestures would spur the boys to work even harder to achieve glory at the forthcoming World Cup in India. Later, Mian Hussain Nasir was presented with a hockey stick and a shirt, signed by the Pakistan’s winning squad of the Asian Champions Trophy.