LAHORE, Jan 7: The newly appointed technical advisor for the national hockey team management Tayyab Ikram joined the training camp which is in progress at the National Hockey Stadium (NHS) for a six-nation tournament preparations.

The tournament, which is being considered as warm-up competition before the World Cup, is scheduled to be held at Kuala Lumpur from Jan 18. The World Cup is also being held at Kuala Lumpur from Feb 25.

The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) which had already introduced a panel of coaches for the team for the first time, created a new post of technical advisor after the national team finished fourth in the 23rd Champions Trophy held at Rotterdam, Holland in November last. It was the only decision taken by the PHF to avert another dismal performance of the team in the World Cup.

Tayyab is the FIH Master coach. He watched the Pakistan team in the training camp Monday and later held a meeting with the PHF secretary Brig. Mussaratullah Khan.

Tayyab will remain with the national team till its departure for Kuala Lumpur to take part in the six-nation tournament. The departure of the team is likely on Jan 12 or 13.

Meanwhile, the PHF secretary Brig. Mussaratullah told reporters that he had not received any official message from the FIH about allotting the 25th Champions Trophy to Pakistan.

The PHF has requested the FIH to allot it the 25th Champions Trophy-2003 as compensation of its 23rd edition which was to be shifted from Lahore to Rotterdam in the wake of the security concerns after the Sept 11 events.