LAHORE: Four-time world champions Pakistan men’s hockey team have left for the FIH Hockey World Cup from Allama Iqbal International Airport on Sunday in a bid to reclaim their lost glory.
The Hockey World Cup, co-hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium, will take place from 15 to 30 August, with Pakistan drawn into Group D alongside India, England, and Wales
The Green Shirts will make their first appearance at the World Cup since 2018 after missing out on qualification for the 2023 edition.
The four-time world champions secured their place at the World Cup by finishing as runners-up in the qualifiers earlier this year.
The World Cup will get underway on August 15 with India taking on Wales at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen. The match will begin at 1:00 PM local time, which corresponds to 4:00 PM Pakistan Standard Time.
Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel
Pakistan chief selector and former Olympian Sanaullah remained cautious about the team’s prospects, pointing to their failure to win a match in the recently concluded FIH Pro League.
“Although I don’t have much hope, but if the boys play spiritedly, better results could be pulled off,” Samiullah said.
“England and India are tough teams and even Wales are not a bad side. In the Pro League, we played two matches each against England and India and lost all four, but in two of those matches we lost by a close margin. If we win one game and earn one draw, then we can create hope of progressing to the next stage,” he added
He said Pakistan had conceded too many goals and highlighted areas for improvement.
“You know we conceded too many goals and the Dutch coach has focused on defence. He has also worked on penalty corners, while goalkeeping was another area of focus to improve,” he said.
Pakistan will play their opening match on 15 August against England.
Pakistan Squad:
Waqar, Muhammad Abdullah, Muhammad Sufyan Khan, Moin Shakeel, Abdul Waheed Ashraf Rana, Abdul Hannan Shahid, Zikriya Hayat, Arshad Liaqat, Adeel Latif, Ahmad Nadeem, Ghazanfar Ali, Ammad Shakeel Butt, Muhammad Hammaduddin Anjum, Rehman Abdul, Afraz, Umar Mustafa, Abu Bakar Mahmood, Ali Raza, Abdul Manan and Muhammad Ammad.
Goalkeepers: Waqar and Ali Raza.
Team Management:
Head Coach: Bob Johan Veldhof (Netherlands)
Assistant Coach: Christopher John Bowen (Great Britain)
Assistant Coach: Adnan Zakir
Team Manager: Muhammad Awais Qarni
Video Technician: Ashraf Sultan
READ: Fans allowed free entry for National Champions Cup 2026