Pakistan versus Oman: International hockey at home for Colts

Four-match U18 series to kick off today in Lahore

KARACHI: Pakistan will get its first taste of international hockey in six years when the Oman U18 team turns out at Lahore’s National Hockey Stadium today to play their Pakistani counterparts as part of the Pak-Oman U18 Hockey Series.

The Middle Eastern side arrived in Lahore yesterday and had a training session in the evening to get used to the local conditions. Pakistan U18, on the other hand, have been training since last week and seem more prepared for the series.

As per Shahbaz Senior, the secretary of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), the first of the four-match series will be played today during the day, while the follow-up game will be played tomorrow under floodlights.



The series will then resume after a day’s rest, with two back-to-back matches scheduled on September 19 and 20.

“We have also arranged a dinner for both teams on their day of rest so that they can interact with each other. This will not only boost the team’s confidence but also aid the revival of hockey in Pakistan and help us attract more players to the game,” said Shahbaz



“This series will be really helpful for both the teams and we hope that a massive crowd will come to witness the matches as the entry is free,” he added.

Moreover, Shahbaz revealed that the series will serve as a warm-up for the fourth Boys Under-18 Asia Cup, which begins in Dhaka, Bangladesh from September 24.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 16^th, 2016.

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