PHF announces new hockey selection committee and team management

PHF announces new hockey selection committee and team management

Asher Butt

The Pakistan Hockey Federation Tuesday named a new selection committee as well as the team management.

In a press conference held at the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Headquarters in Lahore, PHF President Brigadier Khalid Sajjad Khokhar announced the formation of a new National Selection Committee and introduced key members of the national team's management.

Former PHF secretary Olympian Asif Bajwa has been appointed as the chairman of the new selection committee. Olympian Kaleemullah Khan will serve as the chief observer, and other committee members include Olympian Anjum Saeed, Olympian Zeeshan Ashraf, and Olympian Kamran Ashraf.

For the national team management, former captain Shahbaz Ahmed Senior has been named as the national team manager. The coaching staff includes head coach Roelant Oltmans, Olympian Shafqat Malik, Olympian Kashif Jawad, and video analyst Abuzar Amrao. Additionally, Olympian Shaikh Usman and Olympian M. Khalid will be coaches for the five-a-side World Cup.

Olympian Nasir Ali and international Rana Shafiq have been appointed as coordinators for the PHF.

President Brigadier Khalid Sajjad Khokhar expressed appreciation for the work of the previous National Selection Committee and emphasized the importance of collaboration among Olympians and the hockey community for the development and promotion of hockey in Pakistan.

During the press conference, President Khokhar addressed various challenges faced by the PHF, including budget constraints compared to other countries, security concerns affecting hosting of events, and the need for collective efforts to restore hockey to its former glory. He acknowledged the support from Javed Afridi, the owner of Haier, for the betterment of the national game.

The PHF president urged both public and private institutions to contribute to the revival of hockey in Pakistan and emphasized the unique challenges faced by the PHF compared to other hockey-playing nations.