The Pakistan national hockey team departed from Islamabad Airport for Egypt to participate in the World Cup qualifying round, amid renewed optimism and changes in team management.
The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) announced a new team management structure, appointing Olympian Khawaja Junaid as head coach of the national side.
Ahead of departure, players, team management and heads of development committees met PHF’s ad hoc president Mohiuddin Wani, who encouraged the squad to focus solely on their performance and strive to bring honour to the country.
He assured the players that the federation would handle all off-field matters, including logistics and coordination, and would take responsibility for both positive and negative decisions. He pledged that necessary facilities and incentives would be provided and that no undue pressure would be placed on the team.
Speaking on the occasion, head coach Khawaja Junaid expressed confidence in achieving positive results in the qualifying round. He said he had accepted the new responsibility as a challenge and was determined to focus on the future rather than dwell on the past.
He appealed to the nation to pray for the team’s success, expressing hope of delivering good news to fans.
Pakistan have been placed in Group B of the qualifying round. The Green Shirts will open their campaign against China on March 1, followed by matches against Malaysia on March 2 and Austria on March 3.
