LAHORE: After Germany’s junior hockey team, Oman’s national squad is visiting Pakistan from April 6 to play four matches against Pakistan juniors, Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) president Tariq Hussain Bugti said on Wednesday.
Bugti said this while addressing a press conference after Pakistan hockey player Ammad Shakeel Butt was honoured for being awarded Tamgha-e-Imtiaz on the Pakistan Day.
Bugti was flanked by Ammad, PHF secretary Rana Mujahid and newly-appointed head coach Tahir Zaman.
The PHF said that it was a moment of pride for the country’s hockey fraternity that Ammad was honoured with a civil award.
“The Oman team will play two matches each in Lahore and Islamabad,” Bugti said while thanking German and Oman hockey federations for sending their teams to Pakistan.
Speaking on the occasion, Ammad said he was excited after earning the award and hoped that more hockey players would get the honours.
According to Ammad, the series against Germany’s juniors had benefited the hosts who would get more experience from the forthcoming series against Oman.
To overcome PHF’s financial problems, Bugti said, the federation had established a marketing department.
When asked to comment on some reports suggesting the Malaysian Hockey Federation had not invited Pakistan for this year’s Azlan Shah Cup because the PHF had to pay some of their dues, Mujahid said he had no such information.
“All such reports are coming out on assumption. Therefore, we should avoid them because the PHF and Malaysian Hockey Federation have exemplary relations,” Mujahid stated. “[Even] if there are any dues, the PHF is ready to pay but we should avoid assumptions,” he emphasised.
Mujahid said that the PHF had made a comprehensive plan for its senior and junior teams for the forthcoming World and Asia Cup assignments.
Pakistan are to play the qualifying round for the next year’s World Cup to be held jointly by Belgium and the Netherlands. The Junior World Cup and Asia Cup are being held this year in India.
“We are planning to provide at least 25 international matches to our senior team, both at home and away, and negotiating with three countries to visit Pakistan,” Mujahid revealed.
He said it was premature to comment if Pakistan would go to India to participate in the Asia Cup and in the Junior World Cup.
“We will ask the federal government to decide if our teams should go to India,” he said.
Mujahid said the training camp for the national junior team would start in Lahore on April 4.
Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2025
