Sheikh has planned to hold open trials in Karachi, Lahore, Bahawalpur, Peshawar and Quetta, starting this week. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI: Starting this week, the new head coach of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), Shahnaz Sheikh, will embark on a nation-wide talent hunt.
The veteran, who was part of the World Cup squad in 1971 and 1978, said that his priority is to find a pool of talented players to make a winning team for the Asian Games in Korea.
PHF Secretary Rana Muhajid announced last week that Sheikh will be the new national coach, while Islahuddin Siddique will serve as the chief selector.
Sheikh has planned to hold open trials in Karachi, Lahore, Bahawalpur, Peshawar and Quetta, starting this week.
“I want to get started with the open trials right away,” Sheikh told The Express Tribune. “We only have 40 players who keep coming to the national camp. I want to find more players to work with. We need to find top quality players. We’ll begin the trials from Quetta first. Hopefully we can initiate the trials on April 22.”
The head coach said that the next stop for him and the selectors will be Karachi, Bahawalpur and then Lahore.
He added that he wants to conclude the open trials in Peshawar on April 30 so that he can start the national camp on May 3.
“Time is a very important factor here. Once I get the required players I want, I will start the five-week camp on May 3.”
Olympians displeased with PHF management
While Sheikh has a clear vision to make a team for the Asian Games, colleague Samiullah Khan, along with other Olympians, are not happy with PHF’s new management.
However, Sheikh replied to this by saying that the reason for the campaign against PHF’s previous administration, headed by Qasim Zia and Asif Bajwa, was the dire results of the national side in the recent international events.
He added that the senior Olympians had given the PHF a four-point agenda, which demanded that the PHF should keep the right man for the job and that the funds should be utilized wisely.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 21st, 2014.
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