Lahore, Asian Hockey Champions Trophy is going to start in the Malaysian city, Quantin from 20 October. The final 18 member team has been announced and these players started their practice and physical training in the morning and evening sessions. Now the players reached Karachi from Lahore and they are busy in their training in both the session in the Abdul Sattar Edhi Hockey Stadium Karachi. It is also reported that Pakistan national hockey team will leave for Malaysia on the Saturday night.
According to the details, the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy will be played from 20 October to 30 October and there are six teams of Asia, which will play this event. These teams are India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Korea, Japan and China. All of the teams will play one match against each other and the opening match of Champions Trophy will be played between Malaysia and Pakistan on 20 October.
Pakistan national hockey team is comprised of the players, Muhammad Irfan (captain), Umar Bhutta, Muhammad Rizwan Senior, Muhammad Irfan Junior, Nawaz Ashfaq, Imran Butt, Imad Shakeel Butt, Aleem Bilal, Amjad Ali, Arsalan Qadir, Tasawwar Abbas, Muhammad Rizwan Junior, Abdul Haseem Khan, Fareed Ahmed, Ali Shah, Ijaz Ahmed, Rashid Mahmood and Touseeq Arshad. Khawaja Junaid will be the head coach, Ahmed Alam will be assistant coach, Hanif Muhammad will be team manager and Nadeem Khan Lodhi will be video analyst.
Pakistan will play the practice match against Japan on 18 October and it will play the first match of the event against Malaysia on 20 October. Pakistani team will play the second match against Korea on 21 October and the important match of the event against India on 23 October. Pakistan will lay next against Japan on 25 October and fifth match against China on 27 October. The semi finals of the tournament will be played on 29 October and the final of the event will be played on 30 October.
The head coach talked with media and said that Pakistani national team played only 7 international matches after World Hockey League, which was scheduled in Belgium and he did not want o to give any comments on the performance of the team. He said that national team worked hard in the practice session and he hoped that Pakistan team will try to win all of the matches especially against India.
National Hockey Team