The men’s Pakistani squad arrived in India on Tuesday in preparation for the forthcoming Asian Hockey Champions Trophy, which will begin on August 3.
Pakistan team reaches India for Asian Hockey: The national team will fly to Delhi and then on to Chennai, where they will hold the continental competition, before proceeding to Amritsar via the Wagah Border.
Last week, the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) granted a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) to the national men’s hockey team to compete in the competition.
Last month, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) selection committee revealed an 18-person roster for the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy.
The selection committee tested the players for two days and then selected a final 18-player roster with seven stand-by players. PHF President Brigadier Khalid Sajjad Khokhar accepted the roster.
In the Asian Champions Trophy, Umar Bhutta will continue to serve as the team’s head coach while Abdul Waheed Ashraf will be his assistant.
Aqeel Ahmed, Arshad Liaquat, Muhammad Imad, Abdul Hanan Shahid, Zakaria Hayat, Rana Abdul Waheed Ashraf (vc), Muhammad Umar Bhatta (c), Roman, Muhammad Murtaza Yaqub, Muhammad Shahzaib Khan, Afraz, and Abdul Rahman are among the players who make up the recently revealed squad.
The list of players who are on standby includes Abdul Qayyum, Muhammad Baqir, Muhammad Nadeem Khan, Waqar Ali, Abdul Wahab, and Muhammad Arsalan.
The 2018 Asian Hockey Champions Trophy schedule was unveiled by the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) last month.
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The six-team competition will take place in Chennai from August 3 to August 12 according to a statement made by the AHF.
Korea and Japan will play in the opening match of the event, and India, the tournament’s hosts, will play China in the third match of the first day.
Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Japan, China, and India will compete in the six-team competition in an effort to win the championship. The places on the points table will be determined via a league system, with all of the competing teams being placed in one pool.
The Asian Hockey Champions Trophy season for Pakistan will begin on August 3 against Malaysia, followed by matches against Korea on August 4, Japan on August 6, and China on August 7.
The final round match between the green shirts and India will take place on August 9.
On August 12, there will be the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy final.
However, Notably, Korea will compete in the forthcoming edition as the reigning champions, having won the previous edition in 2021. Pakistan and India have each won the title three times, making them the most successful teams in the competition.