LAHORE The Pakistan Hockey Federation executive committee on Friday gave its seal of approval to the appointment of former Olympian and junior team coach Khawaja Junaid as chief coach of the national squad for the teams immediate assignment in Malaysia. The former Olympian will now look after the teams progress in the forthcoming Azlan Shah Cup hockey. He replaces former goal-keeper and coach of the team Shahid Ali Khan, who was removed as team head coach after the teams worst ever performance in the games history. Talking to journalists after the meeting, PHF president said that the security concerns in the country have hindered the foreign coach bid and the PHF was forced to shelve the idea. Pakistan approached a number of coaches including German coach Paul Lissek and even invited him to visit the PHF headquarters but he too has security concerns. The PHF could not delay the appointment of the coach further because the teams preparations for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup would suffer, the PHF official added. The tournament will be played in Ipoh (Malaysia) May 6-16. After the foreign coachs refusal we had to take the decision and the PHF Executive Board decided to take plan B and approved Junaids appointment, he added. In this makeshift arrangement, the Executive Board also appointed the other members of the national team management and the national womens team coach. Junaid will also manage the team while Ahmed Alam and Mohammad Ajmal Khan will assist the former Olympian. We would have six months time for Asian Games after the Azlan Shah Cup and during that period the PHF would find a foreign coach and if no foreign coach would come to take the job then new team management would be formed, said Qasim. The women team coaching job has been given to Jan Mohammad, who will train the ladies team for the Asian Games Qualifying round. Qasim further stated that the meeting ahs also decided to hold two events in May. Lahore will host the junior championship from May 5 and Faisalabad will organise the Inter-academy Championship from May 20, he added. He further said that former player Mansoor Ahmed has been asked to appear before the next executive committee meeting to record his point of view on his life time ban for using abusive language against the PHF officials. On his meeting with the Ejaz Jakharani, he said that the press conference was called to announce the team management.