Management shake-up as PHF names new coach, selection committee

LAHORE: President Pakistan Hockey Federation Brig (retd) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar on Thursday appointed new management of the national senior team and also formed a new selection committee in the wake of the team's dismal seventh finish in the World Hockey League in England last month.

Former hockey Olympian, Farhat Hassan Khan was named as the head coach and the manager of the team with Malik Muhammad Shafqat and Muhammad Sarwar as the coaches.

By forming a new team management the President of PHF has shown exit to the previous team management, headed by former Olympian Khawaja Muhammad Junaid, as it did not take the responsibility of the team's debacle in London and did not resign.

Sources in the PHF told APP that PHF authorities were expecting that Khawaja Junaid-led team management will show a heart to step down as Pakistan team exhibited its worst-ever performance in a qualifying tournament.

"In the prevailing circumstances there was no choice left but to appoint the new team management as the previous management was not ready to quit, showing some responsibility as far as the poor performance of the team was concerned," they said.

On occasions the outgoing head coach, Khawaja Junaid, said the task assigned to him was to inspire the team to qualify for the next year's world cup which he accomplished.

But the PHF authorities outright rejected the claim as first five ranked teams of the World Hockey League qualified for the world cup and Pakistan was not one of them, as it did not directly qualify for the mega event and its qualification was courtesy of other teams who were the automatic choice for the qualification after their victory in their continental rounds or Asian championship.

Sources said Junaid tried his best to convince the President PHF to give him the chance to continue till the Asia Cup, to be played in the coming months, but the PHF Chief put his foot down to show him the exit.

"Junaid gave a firm assurance to the PHF President that the team will win the Asia Cup and if he fails to deliver he will quit but no consideration was given to his fresh claim," said the sources.

"The new team management has been given the mandate till December 2018," they added..

Interestingly the previous selection committee, headed by Rasheed Jr, also did not accept the responsibility of the team’s dismal performance in the league.

Former celebrated centre forward Hassan Sardar leads the new selection committee whose other members are Ayaz Mahmood and Syed Musaddiq Hussain.