pakistan hockey, pakistan hockey federation, phf, hockey, Akhtar Rasool, Hanif Khan, Khawaja Junaid, Shahid Ali Khan, Ahmed Alam, National Hockey Stadium, Tahir Zaman, Mohammad Muzammil Bhatti, Mohammad Asad Bashir, Usman Aslam, Arsalan Qadir, Abdul Jabbar

LAHORE: Pakistan Hockey Federation’s (PHF) Executive Board at its meeting on coming Monday will announce new management for the senior team.

The meeting is scheduled to be held at the National Hockey Stadium here.

According to the agenda in place for the meeting, the Board will discuss the senior team’s management as the previous team management has completed its tenure after the end of the London Olympics.

Dawn has learnt that former captain and Olympian Akhtar Rasool, appointed as head coach for the London Olympics where Pakistan earned seventh position — one place above eighth spot the green-shirts had recorded at the 2008 Beijing Games, will be retained. It is believed that Akhtar had very less time of four months to prepare the side for the London Games.

Hanif Khan, the chief selector and Olympian, is most likely to be reassigned to function as a member of the coaching panel to work under Akhtar along with Khawaja Junaid and former goalkeeper Ahmed Alam. Shahid Ali Khan is most likely to be removed as goalkeeper coach.

The fate of the national selection committee will also be discussed. If it is retained, then Olympian Hasan Sardar is a strong candidate to head it. The only factor which may go against Hasan is the fact that during his last tenure as chief selector Pakistan hit the rock bottom in the 2010 World Cup staged in New Delhi.

Tahir Zaman, another former Pakistan coach and Olympian, is all set to join the PHF as consultant.

Strategy for the upcoming events like the Champions Trophy and Asian Champions Trophy, both to be held in December, in Australia and Qatar respectively, will also be discussed.

Meanwhile, the PHF has invited five more probables to attend the ongoing juniors training camp at the Hockey Club of Pakistan in Karachi. They are Mohammad Muzammil Bhatti, Mohammad Asad Bashir, Usman Aslam, Arsalan Qadir and Abdul Jabbar.

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