ISLAMABAD: A number of players reported the camp commandant on Friday ahead of the national training camp starting here at the Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium on Saturday.

The camp is being set up for the 2024 Paris Olympics qualification round which will be staged in January. Shehbaz Senior, the newly appointed manager, is the camp commandant.

Speaking to Dawn, PHF secretary Rana Mujahid said the national team would make all-out effort to qualify for the Olympics.

“Though, it is not an easy task but still I believe in our coaches and trainers like Shehbaz Senior and [Dutch coach] Roelant Oltmans, we will qualify for the Paris Olympics,” Mujahid said while appreciating the Pakistan Sports Board for organising the camp.

He said that this camp would remain continue for around 45 days before the squad leaves for Oman on Jan 10 to play the Jan 15-21 Olympic qualification round.

Teams from eight countries divided into two pools of four each will be playing the qualification round in Oman. Pakistan are in pool ‘A’ along with Great Britain, Malaysia and China while pool ‘B’ comprises Canada, Chile, Germany and New Zealand.

The top three teams from the Oman event will qualify for the Paris Olympics.

“Our first target is to reach the [Oman event] semi-final before making all-out efforts to move into the final. We will do our best and I am hopeful that we will achieve our target,” he said, adding that 39 probables had been directed to join the national camp.

“I was told majority of players joined on Friday, the exact report will be shared on Saturday,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2023