PHF shortlists names of coaches for junior team

KARACHI: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has shortlisted the names of former players to join the coaching staff of the junior team, ‘The News’ has learnt.

Sources said that Olympian and former Pakistan captain Muhammad Imran, Danish Kaleem, Rana Zaheer, Muhammad Ajmal, Kashif Jawwad, Muhammad Anis and few others are being considered for the positions of coach and assistant coaches.

It is expected that the hockey federation will announce their names on Monday.

It is also learnt that Olympian Shahid Ali Khan, who is currently in the USA, is being considered for the post of goalkeeping coach of the junior team.

Sources said that the PHF wants a goalkeeping coach from the beginning of the training camp. “If he (Shahid) is not available then we will consider someone else. Moreover, since the Junior Asia Cup is around six months away so we won’t be appointing media manager at the moment,” they added.

More than 50 players will participate in the training camp which will be held in Lahore.

Sources said that the federation was focusing on picking up such talented youngsters who could make their way into the national side. “Investing on youth will eventually reap rewards. Secretary Asif Bajwa will himself oversee the affairs of the camp. The camp will continue till the departure of the team for the Junior Asia Cup in Bangladesh. We will be able to shortlist the names of players for the event during the second and third sessions of the camp,” sources added.

Former captain and penalty corner specialist Muhammad Imran is also being considered for the training of drag-flickers, sources said. If appointed, it would be his first assignment as a coach.

However, sources ruled out the possibility that senior hockey team’s head coach Khuwaja Junaid would be given the task to instruct the junior team for the training camp.

Rumours were swirling that the federation would ask Junaid to help prepare the junior team for the Asia Cup whilst the senior team was on leave and had no international assignment in the coming future. However, sources quashed them straight away. “No such idea is under consideration and a new coach would be appointed,” they said.

It is also learnt that the PHF is trying to organise matches for the junior side with Asian teams. However, they haven’t had a breakthrough yet.