Category: Hockey

LAHORE: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has appointed the Olympian Kaleemullah as the chief selector of the national men’s hockey team.

Secretary PHF Asif Bajwa interacted with the media here on Wednesday and announced the appointment of the Olympian as the national team’s chief selector after the approval from the federation president Khalid Sajjad Khokhar.

The PHF also named the management of the national junior side as the Olympian Manzoor Hussain Jr. will be serving as the manager. Olympians Kashif Jawad and Waqas Sharif serve as assistant coaches under head coach Rehan Butt.

The PHF Secretary Asif further announced that further appointments within the federation will be made after the conclusion of the Commonwealth Games.

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LAHORE: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) announced to hold the first-ever Hockey league by the title of “The Max”, later this year.

In a press conference here, the PHF president Khalid Sajjad Khokhar announced the first-ever league, while the national men’s team captain Umar Bhatta was also present.

Speaking on the occasion, the PHF president Khokhar expressed gratitude for announcing the league and termed it a milestone for the PHF.

“It is a milestone for the PHF,” Khokhar told the media. “We have worked really hard for this day to announce our league. I am proud to announce it finally,” he said.

Khalid further shared that the league may face difficulties to attract foreign players in the beginning but expressed hope that they will soon begin to participate in the league.

“We might face difficult in dealing with foreign players in beginning but with time, we are hopeful of attracting them,” Khalid stated.

“This league is very important for the development of Pakistan Hockey and it is a milestone for us,” he added.

The PHF president then disclosed that the management team had been expanded with the help of open bidding. The managing team also includes Salman Sarwar Butt, the first director of PSL.

It is pertinent to mention here that the league will initially feature five teams including Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar, and Islamabad.

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LAHORE: The Secretary of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Asif Bajwa termed the incident of fielding 12 players against Japan in the Hockey Asia Cup 2022 a ‘human error’, whereas, announced that the inquiry committee is investigating the matter.

Asif, while talking to the media here opined on the costly error by national team in the Asia Cup, which prevented their qualification into the next round, by terming it to be a ‘human error’.

“An issue came up from the Asia Cup of fielding 12 players in a match and the head coach has also taken the responsibility of that blunder, since he is the one who decides when and which player will go on the field,” Asif stated.

“I, personally, think that it was a human error, while the inquiry committee is investigating the matter,” he maintained.

The PHF secretary also announced that the national team’s manager Khawaja Junaid will not be continuing with his position in the forthcoming Commonwealth Games 2022 as the latter expressed his desire to work as a technocrat.

“Khawaja Junaid has done a great job, he has been a great manager but he will not be continuing as the manager for the Commonwealth Games,” Asif announced.

“We have allowed Junaid to resign from his position as he is willing to work as a technocrat,” he added.

Junaid, on the other hand, asserted Asif and confirmed that he had previously apologized to continue as the manager as he claimed to have vast experience working in the field.

“I have the experience of working on the ground and I want to continue to work with relevance to my experience. I had already told the federation before the Asia Cup that I can’t work as a manager,” Junaid stated.

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LAHORE: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has announced the second phase of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Hockey Championship, which will take place at the provincial level from June 28 to July 5.

The provincial championship, according to PHF, will be hosted at provincial headquarters and will feature the champion clubs of the first phase, which was held earlier at the regional level.

Teams will be shortlisted for the final phase of the COAS Hockey Championship after the conclusion of the second phase.

Four teams from Punjab, two from each Sindh and KP, and one from each Balochistan and Northern Areas will be qualified for the final stage.

Meanwhile, the victorious clubs of the inter-club regional championship are set to lock horns in each province as well as Islamabad for the forthcoming tournament.

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LAHORE: Renowned Dutch coach Roelant Oltmans, who has previously coached Pakistan’s National hockey team has landed in the country to train the junior players of the Rana Zaheer Academy for competitive hockey.

Oltmans, who has previously coached Pakistan’s national hockey team, Netherlands, India and Malaysia, has landed in the country to train the junior players as Rana Zaheer Academy attained his services.

The Dutch coach received a warm welcome from the Olympians Shafqat Rasool, Shafqat Ali and Hockey Coach Rana Zaheer at Allama Iqbal International Airport here.

According to the Director of the Academy, the Punjab Sports Board played a vital role in hiring the services of the Dutch coach as the board will also prepare a pool of 50 children who will be trained under Oltman’s coaching for two weeks.

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LAUSANNE: Pakistan five-a-side Hockey team failed to qualify for the finals on the concluding day of the fast-paced FIH Hockey5s tournament as the team faced an upset by the Switzerland 5-7, followed by a 5-5 draw against Malaysia. Pakistan finished 3rd in the event.

Pakistan in their first match of the day faced a stunning defeat by the Swiss team which scored seven goals as Pakistan was able to score five in the match.

The initial failure of the day left Pakistan to win against Malaysia in their final group match in order to qualify for the finals, however, a 5-5 draw against Malaysia rendered the team to finish at the 3rd position.

The two finalists Poland and India encountered each other in a thrilling final before India crushed Poland 6-4 to become the first champions of the Hockey5s men’s championship.

Uruguay women’s team on the other remained undefeated in the women’s event of Hockey5s and clinched the title after defeating Switzerland in the final.

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KARACHI: In a first, a hockey academy has reached an agreement for hiring the services of successful Dutch Olympic and World Champion coach Roelant Oltmans, who has previously coached Pakistan’s National hockey team as well. 

The Dutch coach will arrive in Pakistan as Rana Zaheer Academy has hired his services in order to train children for competitive hockey.

Oltmans will be arriving in Pakistan on June 14 as the Dutch will be the first foreign coach hired by any hockey academy in Pakistan.

According to the Director of the Academy, the Punjab Sports Board played a vital role in hiring the services of the Dutch coach as the board will also prepare a pool of 50 children who will be trained under Oltman’s coaching.

The Dutch coach has previously coached Pakistan’s national hockey team, and he also remained the coach of the Netherlands, India and Malaysia men’s hockey teams. The Netherlands won the 1998 Men’s Hockey World Cup under his coaching.

READ: Pakistan draw with India 2-2, thrash Poland 4-2 in FIH Hokey5s

KARACHI: Oman’s Veterans Hockey team has reached Pakistan to play a three-match bilateral series, Olympian Syed Sameer Hussain received the touring side at Jinnah International Airport, here on Saturday.

Oman’s veteran side received a warm welcome upon their arrival in the country as the former hockey player Mohammad Ali was also present at the airport to welcome the touring side.

The 23-member contingent of Oman’s veterans comprises 20 players and three officials. The touring side will lock horns with the Pakistan veterans Hockey club team in a three-match series.

The matches of the series will take place under the lights on June 5, 7, and 9 respectively at the Olympian IslahUddin-Dr.Shah Hockey Academy here.

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LAHORE: Pakistan’s five-a-side hockey team has departed for Switzerland to participate in the upcoming tournament, scheduled to kick off on June 4.

The national squad of the five-a-side hockey departed for Lausanne, Switzerland via a foreign airline at 3 o’clock last night to participate in the hockey tournament.

The head coach Rehan Butt and the coach Waqas Sharif are accompanying the side for their forthcoming challenge.

The Green Shirts will be facing a major challenge on the opening day of the two-day tournament as they face the arch-rivals India and inform Malaysia to start their campaign.

PAKISTAN SQUAD: Waqar Younis (goalkeeper), Ehtesham Aslam, Aqeel Ahmed, Mohammad Murtaza Yaqoob, Tanzeem Al Hassan Kaptan, Arshad Liaqat, Hassan Amin, Abuzar, Abdul Rahman and Mohammad Shahzeb

LAHORE: Pakistan five-a-side Hockey coach Olympian Rehan Butt claimed that the team is focusing more on their clash against the arch-rival India in the upcoming tournament, scheduled to be held in Switzerland.

Rehan, in a statement, ahead of the team’s departure for Switzerland to participate in the tournament, claimed that Malaysia and India are going to give tough times to the Green Shirts while the side has a sharp focus on their faceoff with the arch-rivals.

“Malaysia and India will give us a tough time in the event but we are focusing more on the match against India,” Rehan shared.

“Everyone enjoys the match between Pakistan and India, we will try our best to play well and win against them,” he added

Talking about the team’s preparation for the event Rehan claimed that his team was fully prepared for the new format of the game.

“We have prepared well for the new format, fitness has been the major emphasis,” he stated. “I am fully satisfied with the fitness and skills of the players and we hope to play well.”

Pakistan’s five-a-side hockey team will be departing tomorrow to participate in the event which will be held in Switzerland.

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