Daily Times

LAHORE: The Pakistan Hockey Federation’s (PHF) executive board has announced that it will convene on October 6 to discuss an array of problems which are hampering the team from performing to the best of their potential. PHF president Khalid Sajjad Khokhar will head the meeting where important and urgent matters will be discussed and the suggestions will then be sent to the PHF congress for approval. The itinerary will include briefings by the PHF president, the secretary. Performances of the provincial secretaries will also be reviewed during the meeting which will be followed by decisions regarding their future. The team managers’ reports on Pakistan national team’s performance in the Commonwealth Games, Champions Trophy, development squad’s tour of Canada and the Asian Games will also be analysed.

Pakistan hockey team’s new physical trainer Khwaja Rohail believes the players are ‘super fit’ after he replaced Daniel Berry in the role. Rohail observed that players’ fitness was up to the mark and they are confident of producing good results in the Asian Champions Trophy. “It feels like that team has worked really well on their fitness,” Rohail said. “Players’ fitness has exceeded my expectations. Players scored on average 21 points in the yo-yo test, which cannot be called below-par.” Rohail, who is a level 3 certified coach from the Australian Strength and Training Association, thinks Pakistan players can improve further.

“Pakistan players have started taking fitness seriously, but they need to work more on developing fitness in accordance with the international standards,” he said. While answering another question regarding fitness, Rohail said: “The way these players are working on their fitness, I am hopeful that they will make it to the final of the Asian Champions Trophy.”

Published in Daily Times, October 4^th 2018.