PHF starts sending training plan to players

KARACHI: The PHF has started sending training plans to around 60 probables individually, who were part of its training camps in various times to maintain their form and fitness.

PHF has postponed the training camps on the government’s direction amid the spread of the deadly virus, ‘The News’ learnt on Thursday. It is pertinent to mention here that the training camps were due in March and April. The PHF president Brig (rtd) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar, when contacted, said that a comprehenisive training plan had been given to the probables who were part of camps in recent past.

The training plan has been made in consultation with the PHF secretary Olympian Asif Bajwa, chairman national selection committee Olympian Manzoor Junior and teams management. The management would examine the progress of the players after one week by talking to each player individually through whats-app or other social media applications, he said.

The PHF president said that there was no other way to maintain the players’ form and fitness keeping in mind the circumstances. “We spent all the available resources on organising training for both senior and junior sides in the last two months. It would all have gone in vain if we had not adopted this strategy,” he added.

“As due to coronavirus all sports activities were halted and we had no idea when the situation would improve, we decided to adopt this strategy,” he said. The 60 probables have been directed to officiously follow the plan and to remain in touch with the management, including head coach and assistant coaches on daily basis.

Khokhar said that due to the implementation of this training plan, the probables would maintain their form and fitness and would easily adjust whenever normalcy returned. Pakistan seniors head coach Olympian Khwaja Junaid said the team management had started sending the training plan and in a couple of days each player would have got it.

Junaid said that the plan includes guidnace about physical training, hockey skills and diet. The team management including coaches, assistant coaches and physical trainers would be responsible for getting the training plan implemented by the players. He said that this way the players would be able to retain whatever they were taught during the training camp in Lahore.

Junaid said that when the normal training started, the players would pick rhythm in a week. He further said the players would be given further directives as and when needed. He said the training plan has been prepared keeping in mind the positions of the players. Goalkeepers’ training plan is different from those of the forwards and the penalty corner specialists. Meanwhile, the PHF has close its offices as per the directives of the government regarding preventive measures to control novel coronavirus.