Lahore, June 9 (IANS) The Pakistan national hockey team players continued to suffer due to poor management, as after a training camp in shabby conditions, two prominent players were left injured, plunging their tour of Belgium for the last two legs of the FIH Pro League matches into chaos, a news report said on Tuesday. Pakistan will play archrivals India, England, Spain, and hosts Belgium in this round of matches.
“The officials at Pakistan Hockey Federation have changed, but not the fortunes of national players,” sources told Telecm Asia Sport. “The training camp for the last two legs of the Pro League was held in poor conditions with a ragged turf used, which injured key players Hunan Shahid and Mohammad Sufyan.”
Both the star players will miss the last two legs and are doubtful for the World Cup in August, said the sources.
“How can you prepare on such a torn and rugged turf, but officials did not consider that,” sources told www.telecomasia.net. “With a depleted side, how can you compete against top nations like Belgium, Spain, India, and England?”
“Players were put up at a center where rooms did not have air conditioners and exhausted players had to sleep with old-fashioned fans, eating sub-standard food,” said sources. “The bathroom was combined, and four players were put up in one room.”
As if the poor training facilities were not enough, the team’s departure ran into chaos, with players told they would have to leave in two different batches.
“The national team was due to leave for Belgium from Lahore on Tuesday evening, but they were told that seats were not available, so players will now leave in two batches, one from Islamabad and the other from Karachi,” Telecom Asia Sport quoted the sources as saying.
Pakistan have lost all eight matches so far in the FIH Pro League 2025-26 season, getting into the prestigious tournament as a replacement team after New Zealand’s withdrawal over a lack of funds.
In the first round of Pro League matches, Pakistan lost 2-5 and 3-7 to the Netherlands while Argentina beat them 3-2 and 5-1. Pakistan went down 2-3 and 3-0 to Australia and 2-5 and 1-6 to Germany.
“The most important matches are against India, which we have to win as the top hierarchy of the Federation and the current government want us to beat India,” said sources.
Pakistan have lost to India in all matches at the senior and junior level since 2016. Pakistan’s Junior team lost 5-3 to India in the Under-18 Asia Cup in Japan on Friday.
In the FIH Pro League, Pakistan face Belgium on June 13 and 21, while meeting Spain on June 14 and 20. In the last leg, they play India on June 23 and 26 and England on June 24 and 27.
–IANS
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