European Tour: Pakistan hockey team to play six matches in Spain, Netherlands

KARACHI: The Pakistan hockey team will be play six matches during their 9-day trip to Spain and the Netherlands next month. Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Muhammad Asif Bajwa told reporters on Wednesday that the green shirts are preparing for Commonwealth Games and Asian Games through this Europe tour. “After playing four matches in Spain on double round robin league against hosts Spain and France from July 10 to 15, Pakistan will play two back-to-back matches against the Dutch in Netherlands on July 17-18. “Matches against the European teams are very important in build for Commonwealth and Asian Games and in raising the pool of 20 to 25 players,”
Bajwa said. He said full-back Zeeshan Ashraf had been selected and he would again be leading the side during the European trip. The PHF secretary said he held a number of meetings with newly hired Dutch coach Michel van den Heuvel regarding matters pertaining to the Pakistan team’s preparation and future plans. Bajwa said the PHF would not interfere in the planning and work of the Dutch coach. He also made it clear that Olympian Hanif Khan was the chief selector and the Pakistan squad would be picked by the selection committee and not by the coach as reported in the press. Bajwa said the PHF would also consider hosting China in future. “It will be good for a Bangladesh team to play in our national championship,” he added. To a question, he replied the Pakistan junior team’s tour to Europe was called off because 11 players turned out to be overage.

PHF looking for Sohail Abbas: Bajwa said the national federation was looking for penalty corner specialist Sohail Abbas who had yet to report at the training camp. “We could not locate him and we have approached his department Pakistan WAPDA to know about Sohail’s whereabouts,” Bajwa said. World’s highest international goal scorer Abbas recently represented WAPDA in the Asian Club Championship in Sri Lanka where his department defeated a Malaysian club in the final.

Media talk: He said the PHF had decided that media-talk with coach, manager and players would be held during the ongoing Pakistan team’s training camp at Hockey Club of Pakistan Stadium. “Manager Manzoor Junior, coach Heuvel and a player will be made available to the media on their request at the end of the each day’s training session.”