KARACHI: Two-day trials to select 18-member Pakistan hockey team for the South Korean tour and Champions Trophy commenced at the Hockey Club of Pakistan Stadium on Wednesday.

Five sessions of 15 minutes each followed by shootouts were held on the opening day. Thirty-five of the 40 probables are taking part in the trials.

The national selection committee headed by former Olympian Islahuddin Siddiqui was in attendance. Other members of the committee are Chaudhry Arshad, Ayaz Mahmood, Khalid Bashir and Mussadiq Hussain.

The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) secretary Rana Mujahid has specially come from Lahore for the occasion.

“The team will be picked purely on merit and from the available pool of players who are in the camp,” chief selector Islahuddin told reporters at the end of opening day of the trials. The trials resume on Thursday at 3pm.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2014