Pakistan depart for Hockey World Cup

Record four-time champions return to the global showpiece after missing 2023 edition

Pakistan's national hockey team on Sunday flew out of Lahore for the Netherlands to feature in the FIH World Cup slated to be held in the Netherlands and Belgium from August 15-30.

Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) said it had already transferred Rs20 million to players and coaching staff before departure for the global meet.

The PHF said the advance payment was intended to keep players and coaching staff free of financial concerns and allow them to focus fully on their performances at the tournament.

"Player and coaching staff welfare is our first priority," the PHF President Mohyuddin Ahmed Wani said in a statement. "All necessary financial and administrative matters have been settled before the team's departure so that the players can represent the country on the world stage without any distractions," said Wani, also secretary of the IPC Ministry.

The federation said arrangements covering travel, accommodation, meals, local transportation and the movement of sporting equipment had been completed.

The tournament marks Pakistan's return to the World Cup after the team missed the 2023 edition in India. Pakistan had participated in the 2018 World Cup in India, where they were eliminated in the group stage.

The record four-time world champions Pakistan have a storied history in the competition but have struggled to reproduce their past dominance in recent decades. Their last World Cup title came in 1994.

Pakistan have been drawn in Pool D alongside traditional rivals India, England and Wales.

Pakistan will open their journey on August 14 against England and it would be followed by their matches against Wales on August 17 and India on August 19.

All these matches will be held in Amstelveen.

The four teams will play each other once, with the top two advancing to the next stage.

The other pools of the 16-nation event are: Pool A: Netherlands, Argentina, New Zealand, Japan

Pool B: Belgium, Germany, France, Malaysia; Pool C: Australia, Spain, Ireland, South Africa; Pool D: England, India, Pakistan, Wales

The 16 teams are divided into four pools of four for the opening phase. The top two teams from each pool advance to the second stage.

The eight qualifiers are then divided into two groups of four. Teams carry forward relevant results from the opening phase and play further matches against opponents they did not face in the first round.

The top two teams from each second-stage group advance to the semi-finals, followed by the bronze-medal match and final.

The rest of the teams will play qualification matches to determine their eventual standings.

The men's final is scheduled for August 30 in Wavre, Belgium.

Pakistan qualified for the 2026 World Cup through the qualifying tournament in Egypt and will now look to make a strong impression on their return to the global showpiece.

With the federation saying its financial and logistical preparations have been completed before departure, the focus now shifts to the pitch, where Pakistan face a demanding pool that includes England and India.

Pakistan squad

Waqar,  Muhammad Abdullah,

Muhammad Sufyan Khan, 

Moin Shakeel, Abdul Waheed Ashraf Rana, 

Abdul Hannan Shahid, 

Zikriya Hayat, Arshad Liaquat

Adeel Latif, Ahmad Nadeem, 

Ghazanfar Ali, Ammad Shakeel Butt, Muhammad Hammaduddin Anjum, Rehman Abdul

Afraz, Umar Mustafa, Abu Bakar Mahmood (captain), Ali Raza, Abdul Manan, Muhammad Ammad, Goalkeepers: Waqar and Ali Raza.

Team Management: Bob Johan Veldhof (head coach), 

Christopher John Bowen (assistant coach), Adnan Zakir (assistant coach),  Muhammad Awais Qarni (manager), 

Ashraf Sultan (video technician).