LAHORE: The Pakistani hockey team will likely participate in the Asian Champions Trophy without their coach, Shahnaz Sheikh, as he has not yet received his Indian visa. The Pakistan hockey team will visit India to participate in the Asian Champions Trophy, which will start on August 3.
All the players obtained their visas after the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) received a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), while Sheikh’s visa application was processed only recently following his appointment.
If Sheikh doesn’t receive his visa, he won’t be able to accompany the national squad to India. The team is set to travel to India via the Wagah Border, with their destination being Chennai, where the Asian event will take place from August 3 to 12.
The tournament’s schedule is challenging for Pakistan, with their first match against Malaysia scheduled for August 3. Subsequently, they will face Korea on August 4, Japan on August 6, China on August 7, and their much-anticipated match against arch-rivals India will be held on August 9.
Pakistan Squad for Asian Champions Trophy
Muhammad Umar Bhatta will lead the Pakistani team. Other players include vice-captain Rana Abdul Waheed Ashraf, Akmal Hussain, Abdullah Ishtiaq Khan, Muhammad Sufyan Khan, Ehtsham Aslam, Osama Bashir, Aqeel Ahmed, Arshad Liaquat, Muhammad Imad, Abdul Hanan Shahid, Zakaria Hayat, Roman, Muhammad Murtaza Yaqoob, Muhammad Shahzaib Khan, Afraz, and Abdul Rahman. The standby players include Ali Raza, Muhammad Baqir, Muhammad Nadeem Khan, Abdul Wahab, Waqar Ali, Muhammad Arsalan, and Abdul Qayyum.
