LAHORE, Oct 10: The two-day national hockey trials started here Wednesday to select an 18-member team for next month’s Champions Trophy in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Twenty-nine probables participated in the two sessions barring injured Zeeshan Ashraf.

Penalty corner specialist, Sohail Abbas and Saleem Khalid scored one goal apiece in the first session for the Whites. However Ali Raza failed to convert the penalty stroke awarded to the winners.

In the second session, Colours thrashed Whites 4-1. Mohammad Sarwar struck twice while Mohammad Saqlain and Kashif Jawwad scored a goal each for the Colours.

Atif Bashir got the solitary goal for the Whites.

Two more sessions will be held Thursday followed by the announcement of the team.

The chief selector Col S.K. Tressler (retd), also the federal minister for sports, culture and tourism, didn’t watch the trials since he was busy attending federal cabinet meetings in Islamabad.

Olympian Samiullah, one of the selectors, was neither present on the first day of the trials nor will he be available Thursday as he is on a coaching assignment in China.