KARACHI: The Pakistan hockey team for the upcoming fifth Asian Champions Trophy will be announced at the end of the two-day trials at the Abdul Sattar Edhi Hockey Stadium on Friday, chief selector Islahuddin Siddiqui said on Thursday.

Four sessions spread over 15 minutes each were conducted on the opening day of the trials.

Besides the chief selector who is back in the saddle again, the trials were watched by selector Qasim Khan as other members of the committee Ayaz Mahmood and Mussadiq could not attend.

Ayaz is away from the country while Mussadiq is expected to join the session on Friday, he said.

Also present on the occasion were the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) president retired Brig Khalid Sajjad Khokhar and secretary Shahbaz Ahmed.

The PHF secretary has reiterated that the government should give serious thought to the national game and release funds forthwith for competing in back-to-back competitions — the Asian Champions Trophy at Muscat and the World Cup at Bhubaneswar.

“I’ll wait for funds till the last minute but if the situation persists I’ll be left with no other option than to say sorry,” he told reporters.

The PHF secretary suggested that the government should directly transfer players and officials’ daily allowances in their back accounts and release funds for miscellaneous expenditures to the PHF in future.

“If this is being done the PHF should not be blamed for misappropriation of funds,” he remarked.

Meanwhile, the captaincy of Rizwan Sr, who has gone abroad to play league after securing NOC from the PHF, hangs in the balance.

Dawn has learnt that the PHF had no funds in its kitty to bear hotel expenses in Muscat.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2018