Ayaz Mehmood appointed PHF associate secretary

KARACHI: Olympian Ayaz Mehmood has been appointed associate secretary of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) to look after the affairs of the federation in the absence of a permanent secretary.

Olympian Shahbaz Ahmed resigned as PHF secretary the other day.

Informed sources said that Shahbaz had resigned at a time when PHF was facing acute shortage of funds and two big events were coming up: the FIH Pro League and Pakistan Hockey Super League (PHSL).

Ayaz told ‘The News’ that he would go to Lahore in a couple of days to finalise the details of Pakistan team’s training camp.

He said that Pakistan hockey is passing through a critical period.

“I am what I am because of this game. I will do what I can do for the betterment of Pakistan hockey,” he said.

He added that the details of the training camp, new selection committee, and the new team management for the senior team would be announced within a week.

The training camp is to start from the first week of January.

The team management for the national team is to be announced in a couple of days.

It has been decided that due to shortage of funds a foreign coach cannot be hired right now.

A former Olympian would be appointed the head coach, a source said. He himself would choose two assistant coaches, the source added.

The sources said that Islahuddin- led selection committee had been established till World Cup 2018.

So a new selection committee will also be announced when the new team management is named.

There would be 50 players in the camp, most of them young, the sources said.

Pakistan has already sent a tentative list of 26 players for the Pro League to FIH. The Pro League will start from January 19 and continue till June 23. Pakistan will play their first match on February 3, against Argentina. Pakistan will play their “home” games in Argentina, Belgium, England, Germany and the Netherlands.