LAHORE: The Pakistan Hockey Federation has decided to set up a training camp for the national team in Holland ahead of the FIH Nations Cup, its president Tariq Hussain Bugti said on Tuesday.

Pakistan finished runners-up at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup last week and now turn their attention to the Nations Cup in Poland, which runs from May 31 to June 9.

“The national team will leave for Holland on May 20 for a camp under ther supervision of head coach Roelant Oltmans before the Nations Cup,” Bugti told Dawn.

Pakistan lost the final of the Azlan Shah Cup to Japan on a penalty shootout and Bugti stressed that winning the Nations Cup would held Pakistan qualify for next season’s FIH Pro League for the very first time.

“As the Nations Cup is a ranking tournament, winning it will not only see us go through to the Pro League but will also help improve our ranking,” added Bugti.

The other teams competing in the Nations Cup are Austria, Canada, France, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2024