Sports Bulletin

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL ISLAMABAD (September 18, 2020):-Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has decided to establish the training camp from September 21, 2020 at Army Physical Fitness School, Tobe Camp Abbottabad, aiming to Improve the stamina and groom the probables on modern scientific lines, a physical fitness training camp of the national hockey junior players, for the upcoming Junior Asia Cup Hockey Tournament to be played in Dhaka, Bangladesh from 21st to 30th January 2021. The Players are directed to report Camp Commandant Danish Kaleem, on 22nd Sept 2020. OFFICIALS: 1. DANISH KALEEM - HEAD COACH 2. ZAHEER AHMAD BABAR - COACH 3. MOHAMMAD IMRAN -COACH 4. MUDASSAR ALI KHAN -COACH 5. ZAHID AFZAL -COACH 6. ABU ZAR UMRAO -VIDEO ANALYST 7. MOHAMMAD ABID AMIN -PHYSICAL TRAINER On the recommendation of Chairman Selection Committee Manzoor Junior, President Pakistan Hockey Federation Brigadier (R) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar approved the following 35 players for the camp. FULL BACKS 1. ARBAZ AHMAD PLAYER 2. SAMI ULLAH KHAN PLAYER 3. USMAN BASHIR PLAYER 4. MOHAMMAD USMAN PLAYER 5. REHAN BUTT PLAYER 6. AHTESHAM ASLAM PLAYER HALF BACKS 1. MOIN SHAKEEL PLAYER 2. AQEEL AHMED PLAYER 3. RIZWAN ALI PLAYER 4. USAMA PLAYER 5. ASIF HANIF PLAYER 6. MUHIB ULLAH PLAYER 7. MOHAMMAD ABDULLAH PLAYER 8. HASNAIN BABAR PLAYER 9. QAISAR PLAYER 10. ABDUL BASIT PLAYER FORWARDS 1. ROMAN KHAN PLAYER 2. GHAZANFAR ALI PLAYER 3. HAMMAD ANJUM PLAYER 4. MOHSIN KHAN PLAYER 5. ZAIN IJAZ PLAYER 6. ALI AZIZ PLAYER 7. ADEEL LATIF PLAYER 8. MURTAZA YAQOOB PLAYER 9. MOHAMMAD FAHAD PLAYER 10. AFRAZ PLAYER 11. ABDUL MANAN PLAYER 12. UMAIR SATTAR PLAYER 13. ARSHAD LIAQAT PLAYER 14. WAQAR ALI PLAYER 15. RANA WAHEED PLAYER 16. MOHAMMAD BILAWAL PLAYER 17. TAQI-UL-HASSAN PLAYER 18. SHAZAIB KHAN PLAYER 19. HAMMAD AYAZ PLAYER  

SPORTS REPORT ISLAMABAD (September 18, 2020):-Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) invited seven goalkeepers for the training camp, as the will participate in the Junior Asia Cup Hockey Tournament to be played in Dhaka, Bangladesh from 21st to 30th January 2021. To groom the goalkeepers on modern scientific lines; the physical fitness training camp of national junior Goalkeepers will be established at National Hockey Stadium, Lahore on 25th September till 5th October 2020. Olympian Nasir Ahmed (PIA) will conduct the goalkeepers training camp and coordinated by Olympian Khawaja Muhammad Junaid. Goalkeepers are directed to report for the training camp at National Hockey Stadium, Lahore on 25th September 2020 afternoon. On the recommendation of Chairman Selection Committee Manzoor Junior, President Pakistan Hockey Federation Brigadier (R) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar approved the following seven goalkeepers for the camp:- 1. Waqar Younas - WAPDA 2. Abdullah Ishtiaq      - MPCL 3. Akmal Hussain - WAPDA 4. Noman - KPK 5. Amjad Ali - SSGC 6. Munib ur Rehman - SSGC 7. Sheikh Abdullah – Sindh

SPORTS REPORT ISLAMABAD (August 13, 2020):-Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) will stage an exhibition hockey match on the occasion of Independence Day on August 14, 2020 at the National Hockey Stadium, Lahore. According to an official of PHF, the exhibition hockey match will be played on Friday at 4:45 pm at National Hockey Stadium Lahore Patch No. 1 between Bri (R) MH Atif XI vs. Bri (R) Abdul Hameed XI. Mohammad Khalid Mahmood, Secretary General, Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) will be the chief guest on this occasion.

SPORTS REPORT Lausanne, Switzerland (July 17, 2020): Following the one-year postponement of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 due to the COVID-19 global health pandemic, the FIH can today confirm the match schedule for the men’s and women’s hockey competitions of the XXXII Olympiad. The hockey event was originally scheduled to run from Saturday 25 July until Friday 7 August 2020, with matches being played at the purpose-built Oi Hockey Stadium in Japan’s capital city. Although nothing has changed in terms of the location and overall running order of the matches, the Olympic hockey competitions will now start on Saturday 24 July and conclude on Friday 6 August 2021. In line with what was planned for this year, the opening match of next year’s Olympic Games will be contested between the men of Japan and Australia, with the host nation a facing stern test from the 2019 FIH Hockey Pro League champions - Olympic gold medallists at Athens 2004 - on 24 July (09:30 local time). The opening match of the women’s tournament will be played on the same day, with reigning world champions and current world number one the Netherlands - Olympic champions in 1984, 2008 and 2012 - taking on India (20:45 local time). The men’s and women’s gold medal matches will take place on 5 and 6 August respectively. The announcement was made in Tokyo at a special press briefing held by the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee on Friday (17 July), which revealed the complete Olympic Competition Schedule for every sport being played at next year’s mammoth multi-sport event.  As revealed in November 2019, the pools for the Olympic hockey competitions – the composition of which was determined by the same process applied for the Olympic Games Rio 2016 (see Appendix 2) – can be found below. Men Pool A: Australia, Argentina, India, Spain, New Zealand, Japan Pool B: Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Great Britain, Canada, South Africa Women Pool A: Netherlands, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, India, South Africa Pool B: Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, Spain, China, Japan The teams that will compete in Tokyo all earned their tickets by either becoming continental champions of their respective regions or via the FIH Hockey Olympic qualifiers.

SPORTS REPORT ISLAMABAD (June 18, 2020):-President, Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Brig (Retd.) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar, Secretary General PHF Mohammad Asif Bajwa, and the entire PHF family expressed their deepest sympathies on the sad demise of Chaudhry Hasnat Ahmed Kamboh father of Mohammad Arslan (IT & Digital Communication Manager PHF) and prayed that May the soul of the departed rest in eternal peace. Allah Almighty May give them and their family strength to bear this huge damage  

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (May 19, 2020):-As National Associations start to make plans for a safe return to hockey activities after the necessary restrictions imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the FIH has produced a document to help and support Continental Federations, National Associations and clubs through the process. The guidelines, which are aligned to those issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO), cover the entire hockey workforce – athletes, coaches, officials, staff, administrators and volunteers. Along with a risk assessment chart to which all hockey organisations are advised to adhere, there are also guidelines for organisers of international events once there is a return to international competition. With the progression of the virus at different stages across the globe, the guidelines should be used by Continental Federations, National Associations and clubs, alongside local laws and policies, providing their own bespoke guidelines for hockey providers within their area. A speedy return to playing sports such as hockey is seen as a crucial measure to help in the promotion of mental and physical health but, with the virus still claiming hundreds of lives across the world every day, any return to training and playing has to be carefully implemented to prevent any resurgence in infection. Three “PST” measures have been put in place by governments across the world - Public gathering restrictions (P), Social distancing (S) and Travel restrictions (T). While sports and recreational activities are gradually being reintroduced, this is subject to strict controls and regular review, taking these three measures into consideration. Hockey, as a team sport, with contact, is seen as a higher risk activity and so is subject to higher levels of control and restriction. Within its Health and Safety guidelines, FIH has included a risk assessment – produced by Dr Sean Carmody, a doctor of sports medicine at Manchester Metropolitan University. Prior to resuming any activity, all hockey organisations should carry out an assessment based on Carmody’s risk assessment chart. Even before any return to activity can be considered, facilities must be assessed. To ensure a safe environment, the venue or facility is likely to require a deep clean; watering systems may need to be flushed; and, through accessible information and signage, social distancing restrictions must be made clear to anyone visiting or using the facility. These are very early days when it comes to a return to action but, within its guidance FIH has produced a five stage process showing the route back to something resembling normality. This starts, as has been seen in the Netherlands and Belgium, with a return to carefully managed training, still with social distancing measures in place. The next stage will be a resumption of regional competition, followed by local travel between neighbouring nations. Trans-Continental competition will follow and, finally, once a vaccine is in place, it is hoped there will be a return to normal competition. There is no time scale for these stages to be reached and it will vary from country to country. What is in no doubt is that future events will look very different for the foreseeable future. When competition does resume, organisers will need to be hugely conscious of safety measures that will need to be implemented, in order to keep the hockey workforce and the fans safe. These measures are highlighted in the document. Encapsulating a sentiment that has been expressed across the international hockey community, Australia’s Stephanie Kershaw, urged people to “Stay safe and train responsibly." As the Hockeyroos says, while everyone is excited about a return to action, this is tempered with the knowledge and understanding that global health and wellness is a much bigger priority and one that transcends all else. 

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (May 5, 2020):-Across the international community, the past few months have been tough for individuals, families, institutions and businesses. Emotionally, socially, economically – these are unprecedented times, with an uncertain future to follow. Why it is important that, as an international federation, we plan now for a strong and confident return to hockey action for all our global hockey community: players, coaches, officials, partners and fans alike, when it is safe to do so. We know that only some things are in our ‘control’, but with so many uncertainties, the best way we feel we can move forwards as a global hockey family is to look at where we are, reflect on where we have come from, and look to build upon our plans for a sustainable structure that works for everyone. If we are to look for the positives to take from the current situation, it is that working from home has given us a chance to step back from the day-to-day operations and take a long, meaningful look at our strategies and how we can adjust and innovate so that hockey is a sport with a sustainable future around the world.

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (April 24, 2020):-Due to ongoing uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 global health pandemic, and in agreement with the 11 participating National Associations (NAs), the second edition of the FIH Hockey Pro League is being extended through to June 2021, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has announced. Season 2 of the FIH Hockey Pro League – the annual global League involving the world’s best international teams, both men and women – was initially set to run from January to June 2020. Around one third of the planned matches were completed between January and early March, before the escalating COVID-19 crisis brought the competition, like almost all major sporting events around the world, to a standstill. Throughout this time of postponement, FIH has been liaising with all participating NAs in order to assess this ever-changing situation, the aim being to restart the playing of matches only when it is safe to do so, putting athlete welfare at the forefront of the decision-making process. Taking into account both the latest recommendations from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the recent announcement regarding the one year postponement of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, it was universally agreed that extending Season 2 into the middle of 2021 was the appropriate course of action, giving the best possible chance for this edition of the competition to be completed whilst enabling FIH and all NAs to deliver on broadcast and commercial partner agreements.  FIH will continue to closely monitor the global evolution of the COVID-19 situation and, with the safety of athletes and fans being top priority, any potential dates regarding the resumption of the competition will be announced at the appropriate time. As part of the continuing evolution of the competition and in agreement with all participating NAs, FIH can also announce that the window for Season 3 of the FIH Hockey Pro League will be from September 2021 to June 2022. The decision to spread the Pro League season over a longer time period will allow for greater flexibility in terms of the scheduling, reducing match congestion in the first half of the year whilst also helping to ensure that international hockey remains highly visible via broadcast for much of the year.  Speaking about the decisions, FIH Chief Executive Officer Thierry Weil said: “With the world facing a health crisis like nothing in living memory, predicting a date for when the current competition will restart is almost impossible at this time. Despite the difficult circumstances, these wholly necessary discussions between FIH and the participating National Associations were both positive and constructive. We all believe we have found the correct path forward regarding the current edition of the FIH Hockey Pro League, giving ourselves additional time to play the matches whilst also relieving pressure on both the athletes and the calendar for 2021. “Looking ahead to the remainder of the 2020-21 Season and beyond, the changes that will be introduced for Season 3 are another significant step in the evolution of this fantastic competition. The honest and open dialogue that we have with our NAs enables us to mould the FIH Hockey Pro League in a way that works for all, and I want to place on record my personal thanks to all everyone for their efforts to find a workable solution.” 

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (April 6, 2020):-Federations of International Hockey (FIH) has spent the past six days celebrating hockey’s place in promoting peace and development via a range of projects and initiatives. The stories, from across the five hockey-playing continents, are part of the recognition and celebration of the United Nations International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, which takes place today (Monday 6 April). With the health of the global community under threat from the virus Covid-19, never has the message of unity and support been more pertinent. The stories we have highlighted here are just five examples from hundreds of activities that are being run by the hockey family with the end goal of making communities healthier, happier and better places to be. Our five days of stories began in Europe where the Royal Belgium Hockey Association (Hockey Belgium) and the Ghana Hockey Association are working with the Tom Boon Hockey Camp, the business enterprise of one of Belgium’s international hockey stars – goal scoring dynamo Tom Boon. Through the collaboration, hockey coaching and equipment is being delivered to numerous underprivileged communities in Africa. As a result of the work so far, 400 sticks have been delivered to youngsters in Ghana; 25 coaches have received training on delivering coaching sessions; and more than 170 boys and girls have benefited from coaching courses. The aim is to make the coaching courses sustainable, with local coaches doing much of the delivery in the future. South Africa was the focus of the second story as the national association (SAHA) strives to develop hockey to communities across the country. The message going out to schools and clubs is a simple one: hockey can be played anywhere there is a flat surface. Under a national initiative that involves SAHA, clubs and schools, schools will get resource packs and equipment, teachers will be trained in basic hockey coaching and qualified hockey coaches will be running sessions. Hockey will be largely delivered as an adapted game – small-sided games on any type of surface – thus allowing the sport to be played far more widely. Under the strategy, South Africa will have a whole new cohort of hockey enthusiasts. 375 new schools will be targeted for coaching and equipment; 7,500 youngsters will benefit from coaching, 750 teachers will be involved in the delivery of the nationwide programme and 2,440 modified sticks and balls will be distributed. The geographical area covered by PAHF is as diverse as the hockey community served by the continental federation. There are the developed hockey national associations of Argentina, USA and Canada. There are the aspirational communities of Chile, Uruguay, Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago and there are the national associations that are just starting out on their journey into hockey growth and development, such as the island nation of Haiti. Since 2015, Haiti has had a national hockey association and, with the support of PAHF and latterly, the Olympic Solidarity Programme, a coaching development initiative has been raised playing and coaching standards in the country. Shiv Jagday, who formerly coached both USA and Canada national teams, is leading the project. He has visited the Caribbean community on three separate occasions to lead coaching courses, the most recent of which was in February of this year. Afghanistan is not just damaged by wars and terrorism, it also ranks as one of the poorest nations in the world. Despite this, it continues to play a range of sports at international level, with its national hockey association aspiring to make Afghanistan a competitive hockey-playing nation. The men currently rank 70th in the world, while the women’s team is still very much in its infancy and is yet to get a world ranking. It is not just at elite level that hockey is making in-roads in Afghanistan: it is also being played in pockets across the country and participants are finding that regular hockey training and competing in local matches is beneficial to both their physical and mental health. The demands of the game are both cathartic in a society where stress levels are extremely high and it also offers the chance for social networking. The Asian Hockey Federation has been working with the national hockey association since 2003 to promote and develop hockey. Equipment donation and coaching courses have opened up opportunities to male and female aspiring hockey players, and at the same time, spread some sport-inspired light and healing into this damaged country. The final continental story comes from Oceania and demonstrates the power of sport to instil life-skills such as self-confidence and leadership. The BDO Aspire Learn Well, Live Well, Lead Well indigenous hockey programme is collaboration between Cairns Hockey and the Australian Federal Government NIAA, with support from Hockey Australia and the Oceania continental federation. While the programme itself is on-going and hugely successful, the icing on the cake for seven of its course members was a trip to the FIH Pro League match between Australia and Argentina and the chance to meet some of the men’s and women’s national teams.   The five days of celebrating sport as a means of promoting peace and development culminated in a message from the FIH Hockey Academy, which is dedicated to hockey development across the globe. In a video message, FIH Academy director Mike Joyce spoke of the importance of working together with stakeholders to design and implement development programmes that are sustainable. He says: “At the International Hockey Federation we believe in the power of sport to change the world. The greatest thing about sport development and sport for development is essentially that it is about helping other people. Everything we do in development we do in partnership with our national associations and continental federations. It is focused on hockey development, including education, participation and infrastructure or hockey for development – things like gender equality, social inclusion, youth and education. “Today, it is the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace. We, in the global hockey community, are massively proud to support this United Nation’s initiative.”

SB News Lausanne, Switzerland: "On behalf of the International Hockey Federation (FIH), I would like to thank the International Olympic Committee, the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, the Government of Japan and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government for having confirmed the new dates of next year’s Olympics so swiftly. The international hockey community fully supports this decision. Athletes and coaches can now plan their preparations in full knowledge of the new schedule, which is very helpful. We look forward to a magnificent event which will unite the world in Tokyo next year! In the meantime, I wish everyone to keep well and safe.”