KARACHI, April 18: The Pakistan Under-16 squad is under threat even before its formation because of ambiguity over the appointment of the camp management.

Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) on Thursday announced what it called a “back-up” camp for the juniors to form a junior reserve side. The probables called up for the training camp have been selected on the basis of their performances in junior championship and Under-16 inter-provincial tournament.

According to a PHF announcement, junior team manager Col Abdur Rauf (retd) and Asif Bajwa were named as manager and coach respectively, while former international Farhat Khan their assistant.

However, according to Farhat he had been officially intimated by the PHF that an Under-16 camp would run between May 3 and 15 at Steel Mills ground to be supervised by him, while Rauf would be the manager.

But what the PHF has not clarified is that whether the camp would be for Under-19s or exclusively for Under-16 players. If the camp is for Under-16 players, how Rauf has been appointed the manager for the camp.

Rauf is already managing the Under-19 squad, while the Pakistan second-string team which recently toured Cairo, was also managed by Rauf.

For Farhat, the situation was also ambiguous as, according to him, neither the PHF intimated him about Asif’s appointed nor mentioned that the camp would be for the Under-19s.

“It’s confusing. According to the official PHF letter, Col Rauf will be the manager and I will be the coach. I am bewildered after reading Asif’s name as the coach in newspapers today.

“I am surprised after reading it will be a combined camp. What I have been told officially, is that it will be a Under-16 camp to be supervised by me not Asif or anybody else,” Farhat said.

If one goes by what Farhat has said, it is incomprehensible why Rauf has been deputed as the manager despite the fact the camp will be for Under-16 players.

It is for the first time in three years that PHF has planned to hold a proper national Under-16 camp for raising the squad. Considering the beginning of the programme, one could easily reach a conclusion what will be the end of the exercise.