LAHORE, July 17: National seniors’ hockey camp begins at the Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium, Islamabad from Wednesday to prepare Pakistan for the four-nation tournament that will be held in Beijing from Aug 8 to 13.
Hosts of the 2008 Olympics are organising the quadrangular event to test the venue for the mega event as well.
Besides Pakistan, hosts China, Olympic champion Australia and Malaysia will be taking part in the contest.
National selection committee, headed by former Olympian Khawaja Zakauddin, has already called up 35 probables for the camp. The players have been directed to report at the Jinnah Sports Complex, Sports Hostel Islamabad on Wednesday.
Out of the 35 probables three players – Zeeshan Ashraf, Adnan Maqsood and Adnan Zakir, who had missed out the recently held four-nation tournament in Moscow due to health problems – will report only after production of their medical fitness certificate.
Former Olympians Islahuddin Siddiqui and Manzoor-ul-Hassan will be the chief coach and assistant coach respectively.
Probables: Salman Akbar, Sajjad Anwar, Shakeel Abbasi, Mohammad Shabbir Jr, Abbas Haider, Majid Khan (Sui Gas); Shakir Munir, Rana M Asif, Rehan Butt, Mohammad Zubair, Mohammad Mudassar, M Waqas Sharif, Imran Khan Yousufzai (Wapda); Ishtiaq Ahmed, Kashif Ali (Steel Mills); Alamgir (Mardan); Saeed Shah (PAF); Nasir Ahmed, Ihsanullah Khan, Yasir Islam, Waqas Akbar (PIA); Syed Imran Warsi, Zeeshan Ashraf, Adnan Maqsood, Asim Khan, Tariq Aziz, Adnan Zakir, Akhtar Ali, Sumair Saleem (NBP); Mohammad Arshad, Mohammad Imran, Waqas Zafar, Ali Rehman (Army); Rashid Imran (HBL); Mohammad Amin (Quetta).
