Pakistan hockey team set for FIH Junior World Cup in Kuala Lumpur
Asher Butt
LAHORE: The Junior Hockey Team
has been officially announced to represent the country in the upcoming FIH
Junior Hockey World Cup scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The prestigious tournament is
set to unfold from December 5 to 16, and the Pakistan Junior Hockey Team is
gearing up for an exciting competition.
The selection process was
conducted under the supervision of the Pakistan Hockey Federation President,
Brigadier R Khalid Sajjad Khokhar. After receiving the President's approval,
the PHF Selection Committee, led by Chairman Olympian Asif Bajwa, meticulously
picked a squad of 20 talented players who will don the green and white colors
at the international event and their names were announced before media here at
the PHF headquarters on Wednesday.
The team announcement ceremony
was attended by key figures in Pakistani hockey, including Member Selection
Committee Olympian Anjum Saeed, Team Manager Lt. Col. R. Asif Naz Khokhar, and
Head Coach Roelant Oltamans. The selected squad reflects a blend of promising
talent and experienced players who will represent the nation with zeal and
determination.
Bajwa stated that goalkeepers
Ali Raza and Abdul Rafi Sajid have been included in the team alongside Arbaaz
Ahmed, Mohammad Sufyan Khan, Ihtsham Aslam, Aqeel Ahmed who will be joining the
squad for the big event. He further stated that keeping in view the performance
of the players Abdul Manan, Muhammad Murtaza Yaqub, Zakaria Hayat, Muhammad
Imad, Ghazanfar Ali are made part of the team and so were Ali Murtaza, Arshad
Liaquat, Abdul Hanan Shahid, Abdul Rehman, Umar Mustafa, Abuzar and Abdul
Qayyum are also part of the team. Basharat Ali and Arbaaz Ayaz, he said will be
reserve players.
The team officials accompanying
the players to Malaysia include Team Manager Lt. Col R Asif Naz Khokhar, Head
Coach Roelant Oltamans, and Coaches Olympian Shakeel Abbasi, International
Muhammad Ali, and International Muhammad Asif. The support staff also includes
Physiotherapist Muhammad Aslam and Video Analyst Nadeem Lodhi, who will play
crucial roles in ensuring the team's fitness and strategic analysis during the
competition.
The selected players are as
follows:
Ali Raza, Abdul Rafay Sajid
(goalkeeper), Arbaaz Ahmed, Muhammad Sufyan Khan, Ehtsham Aslam, Aqeel Ahmed,
Abdul Manan, Muhammad Murtaza Yaqub, Zikaria Hayat, Muhammad Hayat, Ghazanfar
Ali, Ali Murtaza, Arshad Liaquat, Abdul Hanan Shahid, Abdul Rehman, Umar
Mustafa, Abuzar, Abdul Qayyum,
Reserve players: Basharat Ali,
Arbaaz Ayaz
“The team, under the leadership
of their experienced coaching staff and seasoned players, aims to showcase their
skills and compete at the highest level. The FIH Junior Hockey World Cup
provides a platform for these young athletes to gain valuable international
exposure and contribute to the rich legacy of Pakistan in the field of hockey.
The nation eagerly awaits their performance and wishes them success in the
upcoming tournament,” he concluded.
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