May 18, 2006	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 19, 1427

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LAHORE, May 17: An 18-member Pakistan women hockey team will take part in the Asia Cup qualifiers to be held in Malaysia from June 4.

The team was selected after a one month training camp which is still in progress at the National Hockey Stadium.

PHF Women Wing secretary Parveen Sikandar Gill announced the team and said the name of the captain would be decided later.

She said that best facilities were provided to the probables of the camp and added the air-conditioning system in the accommodation provided to the probable was not in order in early stage of the camp and that caused inconvenience to them.

Twenty-three teams will take part in the qualifiers. Top four teams will qualify for the main round in which India, Japan, China and South Korea had already entered.

A six-member team management including president of the Wing Barrister Shahida Jamil as Chef de Mission and secretary Parveen are also included.

"Two meetings of The Asian Hockey Federation are also scheduled during the qualifiers and main purpose of the president and secretary's visit is to attend that," Parveen said.

Nasir Ali is the coach, Mrs Zaibun Nisa is his deputy while Huma Imtiaz is the physiotherapist.

Shaista Javed as judge and Razia Rizvi as umpire are going on the invitation of the AHF.

Nadia, Sonia Khan, Shumaila Hafeez and Asia Sadiq are new players included in the team.

Six stand-bys are also announced.

Team: Goalkeepers: Tahseen Safdar, Saman Rashid.

Full-backs: Lina Afroz, Aqeela Naseem, Nadia, Saman Yousaf.

Half-backs: Amna Mir, Saima Afzal, Asia Sadiq.

Forwards: Razia Malik, Rabia Qadir, Uzma Lal, Amna Awan, Azra Nasir, Neelma Hasan, Beenish Hayat, Shumaila Hafeez, Sonia Khan.

Stand-bys: Rizwana Yasmeen (goalkeeper), Iram Bukhari (full back), Rabi Sarwar, Saman Islam, Sidra Younis, Aneela Khan (forwards).