KARACHI: The national hockey camp commenced at the Hockey Club of Pakistan Stadium on Wednesday with 28 players in attendance.

According to chief coach Shahnaz Shaikh, six players were abroad to play league while the remaining four namely Tassawur, Rizwan Ali, Asad Bashir and Zohaib Ashraf are expected to report in the camp by Wednesday night.

The camp has been set up in preparation for the Champions Trophy which is being held at Bhubaneswar, India, from Dec 6 to 14.

Trials to select Pakistan team for the Indian event will be tentatively held on Nov 14 or 15, Shahnaz told newsmen.

According to draws, Pakistan has been drawn in pool A alongside Belgium, England and Australia whereas pool B consists of India, Germany, Holland and Argentina.

The former Olympian said he had requested the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) to send the national team either to South Korea or Malaysia from Nov 20 to 28 prior to travelling to India on Dec 2. Pakistan, he added, plays a friendly against Argentina on Dec 3.

The chief coach said Champions Trophy will be played on blue turf with yellow ball. He went on to say that the Incheon Asian Games silver medalist’s next big assignment is to compete in the world league semi-final one at Antwerp, Belgium, from June 20 to July 5.

Five teams – Australia, Belgium, Great Britain, India and Pakistan will be joined by another five teams in the competition.

This will be preceded by world league semi-final two where six teams – Argentina, Spain, Germany, South Korea, Netherlands and New Zealand – will be joined by four more teams in the event being played at Buenos Aires, Argentina, from June 3 to 14.

The world league also features continental champions who have already earned direct passage for Rio Olympics in 2016. The world league will form the nucleus for the Olympics.

Shahnaz is being assisted by a panel of specialised coaches and officials which included Nasir Ali (deep defence), Shafqat (half line), Sameer Hussain (forward), Abuzar (goal-keeping), Dr Asad and physiotherapist Sajid.

Published in Dawn, October 30th , 2014