PESHAWAR: The newly-appointed hockey chief selector Islahuddin Siddiqui on Tuesday expressed satisfaction over the ongoing trials in different cities across the country including Peshawar and termed it a very positive step in the right direction.

Islah and the newly-appointed head coach Shahnaz Sheikh besides members of the newly-formed selection committee have been here at the Lala Ayub Hockey Stadium as part of a Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) campaign to find a pool of new players through conduct of trials in various cities.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Hockey Association chairman Mohammad Saeed Khan and secretary Syed Zahir Shah were also present during the trials which also witnessed different match sessions.

Islah said that after shortlisting players they would be kept in camp under qualified coaches for a longer duration so that formidable teams in different age groups be formed.

On the occasion, Shahnaz said the PHF had launched serious efforts to find fresh talent and holding of the nation-wide open trials showed the federation’s resolve to put the national game on the right track.

“I hope we will be able to make a pool of strong players which will increase bench strength of the senior and the junior teams in two to three years”, he said.

Also, chief selector Islah said the national game was passing through a difficult phase and he and his team had accepted the challenge in the best interest of the game.

“Physical fitness is our priority. We are also observing players’ interest as well as involvement in the game,” claimed Islah, adding that objective of the trials was to provide equal opportunities to talented players who were previously ignored for various reasons.