LAHORE, Nov 12: A number of changes are on the cards in the management of the senior hockey team and national selection committee and a final decision in this regard will be taken at a high level meeting Wednesday at Islamabad.

General Muhammad Aziz Khan, President PHF will give his nod to bring in changes in the present team management in the wake of Pakistan’s poor performance in the Asian Games at Busan where it finished fourth after losing to lowly rated Malaysia.

“Changes will also be made in the selection committee as well in the management of the Pakistan White and the Junior team,” said Brig Musarrat Ullah Khan, secretary PHF while talking to the media Tuesday.

General Aziz had a soul searching session with the Secretary PHF a few days ago and tomorrow’s meeting will decide the fate of present management and decisions on other issues, another attempt by the high ups of the national hockey federation to lift the game out of the present crisis.

“Yes, it will be a very important meeting in which important decisions will be taken to safeguard the future of the game,” he said.

The PHF official said changes will not be aimed to oust any official rather it will be a re-shuffling process in which any body could be assigned a new job or switched over to any position.

“For example any official associated with the senior team can be associated with White team and White team official can be deputed with Pakistan junior team,” he said.

He added PHF will announce all these changes at a media session on Nov 15 at the PHF headquarters at national hockey stadium.

He further explained that PHF has prepared the activity programme of the senior, white and junior teams for the coming two years besides chalking out domestic activity plan for the two years term.

PHF official said in order to assess the playing age of some of the members of the senior team, PHF will be organising a six match league at Lahore and Faisalabad next month. At Lahore three matches will be played from Dec 20-22 and the remaining three at Faisalabad from Dec 24 to 26. Pakistan Green, White and Junior team will be taking part.

In the league Pakistan senior team will be called Green, and left over national probables will be put in White and junior will be comprising under-19 players.

Musarrat said the league will help in finalising squads for the 2004 Olympic and qualifying rounds of the Junior World Cup.

“By January next year we will be with a clear mind which player will stay with the senior team and who will be replacing aging players who cannot get along till the next Olympics,” he said.

PHF secretary said efforts are being made to put hockey on the right track and in the present scenario PHF was mobilising resources to achieve this objective.—APP