KARACHI, April 2: Pakistan hockey training camp for this month's Junior Asia Cup got under way on Friday in the absence of goalkeeping coach and team doctor.

Goalkeeping coach Shahid Ali Khan, who is also PIA team manager, has opted to skip the national junior camp and stay with his department's team in Peshawar where his side is participating in the national championship.

The goalkeepers will train in Shahid's absence at least until he returns from Peshawar after the championship which concludes April 10. The goalkeepers will have training under Shahid for hardly nine days if the coach joins camp on April 11.

The ten-nation competition, which also serves as qualifying round for next year's Junior World Cup in the Netherlands, starts April 20 at Hockey Club of Pakistan. However, Shahid says he was not intimated officially by the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) about the camp before his departure for Peshawar.

"I left for Peshawar some four or five days ago and till then I had not received any official information from PHF about the camp. I had already told manager about my plans. I may join the camp in between the championship or may come after its conclusion," he said.

PHF was advised by the junior team manager Jahangir Butt to organize the main round of the championship after the Cup as he wanted to hold the camp from April 1. PHF, however, did not pay heed to the advice.

Although the players belonging to different departments had reported at the camp, the organizations whose players are now in the camp, suffer because of absence of key team members that has taken gloss off the prestigous tournament.

Meanwhile, Kashif Yaqoob, one of the probables, had to be taken to a hospital after ball struck his face during a penalty corner drill in the evening.

As there was no doctor at the camp, assistant coach Jan Mohammad took Kashif for medical treatment. Team doctor is expected to join the camp on Saturday.

All 29 probables called up for camp had sessions under supervision of coach Asif Bajwa and his deputies Jan Mohammad and Ikhlaq Ahmad.