Mohmmad Irfan will be at the helm as Pakistan look to complete a hattrick of gold medals at the South Asian Games (SAG), the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) announced on Wednesday.
The PHF named a 16-member squad after trials were held to select the final lineup of the Pakistan Whites Hockey Team for participation in the biennial event which is set to be staged in the Indian city of Guwahati from February 5.
Experienced defender Irfan will lead the Pakistan side while Fareed Ahmed will be his deputy at the 12th edition of the Games which will feature athletes from eight different South Asian nations.
The coaching staff includes the experience of former stars Mohammad Saqlain and Rehan Butt.
The national squad for SAG ’16 is a mix of youth and experience as the PHF looks to revive the national sport after the ignominy of missing out on the World Cup last year and the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Squad for SAG 2016
Mohammad Irfan (Capt), Syed Kashif Shah, Fareed Ahmad (Vice-Capt), Mohammad Aleem Bilal, Tasawar Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Toseeq Arshad, Mohammad Umar Bhutta, Mohammad Kashif Ali Ali Shan, Mohammad Arslan Qadir , Abdul Haseem Khan, Taimoor Malik, Sami Ullah, Awais-ur-Rehman
Stand-byes: Ejaz Ahmed, Mazhar Abbas, Shehar Yar, Abdul Karim Khan, Ali Raza, Zohaib Ashraf
Officials: Shahid Pervez Bhandara (Team Manager), Pervez Aslam Kayani (Assistant Manager), Mohammad Saqlain (Head Coach), Rehan Butt (Coach), Nadeem Ahmad Khan (Assistant Coach), Dr. Atif Bashir (Team Doctor)
