Old Team, New Management: 25-member hockey squad announced for World Cup Qualifier mission
Old Team, New Management: 25-member hockey squad announced for World Cup Qualifier mission
By Nawaz Gohar ; The Pakistan national hockey team is set to depart for Egypt to compete in the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers.
The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has issued the “No Objection Certificate” (NOC) to the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), allowing the Green Shirts to fly from Islamabad to Ismailia, Egypt, tomorrow, February 24.
The qualifiers will be held from March 1 to 7, 2026. Pakistan is placed in Pool B alongside China, Malaysia, and Austria. This tournament represents a golden opportunity for Pakistan to return to the World Cup stage after an eight-year absence, as top-performing teams will secure their berths for the 2026 mega-event.
The 25-Member Squad & Officials:
Officials: Khawaja Junaid (Head Coach), Mohammad Azfar Yaqoob (Assistant Coach), Capt (R) Farooq Atiq Khan (Contingent Leader), Sultan Ashraf (Video Analyst), Arif Haleem (Assistant Physiotherapist).
Players: Muneeb-ur-Rehman (GK), Ali Raza (GK), Ammad Shakeel Butt, Mohammad Sufyan Khan, Ghazanfar Ali, Ahmad Nadeem, Moin Shakeel, Mohammad Abdullah, Mohammad Hammad-ud-Din Anjum, Rana Abdul Waheed Ashraf, Afraz, Abu Bakar Mahmood, Abdul Rehman, Hamza Fayyaz, Zakaria Hayat, Arshad Liaqat, Rana Mohammad Waleed Ashraf, Arbaz Ahmed, Mohammad Imad, and Umair Sattar.
New Head Coach Khawaja Junaid expressed optimism that the team will seize this chance and successfully qualify for the World Cup.
Focus only on the game; PHF will handle the rest: Wani
Mohyuddin Wani, the Ad-hoc President of the PHF, met with the national team and management to boost morale ahead of the qualifying round.
Following Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s notice regarding mismanagement within the federation, Secretary of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Mohyuddin Wani was appointed as the Ad-hoc President.
During the meeting, Wani assured the players: “Focus solely on your performance and bringing glory to the country; the PHF will manage all other administrative and logistic matters.” He emphasized that the federation would handle coordination and off-field issues to ensure players face no unnecessary pressure, promising that all necessary incentives and facilities will be provided.
