Team manager quits mid-camp after nephews dropped

Olympian Hanif Khan replaced by Colonel Mohsin for upcoming Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

KARACHI: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has appointed Colonel Mohsin as team manager for the upcoming Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in place of Olympian Hanif Khan, who left for Karachi in the middle of the recently concluded training camp.

Manager and camp commandant Hanif was replaced by Mohsin, who has never represented Pakistan.

Hanif wanted the inclusion of his nephews in the camp and left when his demand was not facilitated by the selectors.



“Hanif left for Karachi when the team was in the final stage of its camp. The PHF was already facing challenges in preparing for the tournament and had to dismiss him for this,” a well-informed PHF official told The Express Tribune.

The PHF has applied for a Malaysian visa for Mohsin, which is expected to arrive in a day or two, and the new manager will leave with the 18-man team from Karachi on April 3.

The tournament is being held in the Malaysian city of Ipoh from April 6 to 16, where Pakistan will be participating after missing the previous two editions due to a lack of funds.



Meanwhile, the PHF has also excluded experienced players Mohammad Rizwan Senior and Rashid Mehmood as they are currently playing league hockey in Holland.

“The two were selected in the team without them appearing for the trials but they didn’t even show up for the camp,” said head coach Khawaja Junaid. “The PHF has therefore replaced them with Abdul Kaleem Khan and Kashif Javed Malik.”

Apart from hosts Malaysia and Pakistan, defending champions New Zealand, Canada, Japan, India and Australia will be participating in the event. Pakistan will face Canada on the opening day, before taking on arch-rivals India on April 12.

“We have a good mix of youth and experienced players, and are confident that the team will play a good brand of hockey under Mohammad Irfan’s captaincy,” said Junaid.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 31^st,  2016.

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