Lahore, February 25 An unhappy Pakistan hockey team has flown to Egypt for a crucial World Cup qualifier tournament under the supervision of an interim head coach, Khawaja Junaid, who was banned for life in 2023 by a committee of the national federation.
“Junaid will supervise the team, and the interim president, Muhuyuddin Wani, brought him on board due to the limited time available before the World Cup qualifiers,” a spokesperson for the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) said.
A reliable source in the PHF said that the players were unhappy with the appointment of Junaid, an Olympian, as they had requested the federation to hire Dutch coach Roelant Oltmans at least for the qualifying tournament.
“Captain Ammad Butt also tried to contact the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Mohsin Naqvi, but he was unsuccessful,” the source said.
He said that Junaid was not a popular choice among the players due to his past record as head coach of the senior and junior teams.
In 2023, an independent inquiry committee of the PHF had banned Junaid from all hockey-related activities for life after he was found guilty of mishandling a crucial Asia Cup match between Japan and Pakistan, which the latter lost and failed to qualify for the Olympics.
Junaid, who was coach and manager, sent 12 players onto the field at one time, which led to the umpires disallowing a crucial goal.
The qualifying tournament in Ismailia, Egypt, from March 1 to 7, offers Pakistan one last opportunity to secure a spot in this year's World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Pakistan is among eight teams in the qualifier vying for three World Cup spots. Nine teams have already qualified for the tournament.
The two finalists and the bronze medal winner in Ismailia will secure berths for the World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Pakistan is grouped with Austria, Malaysia, and China, while the other group comprises England, Egypt, Japan, and the USA.
