Asian Champions Trophy: Pakistan gets NOC for tournament, to reach India on Tuesday

Karachi: The Pakistan hockey team has got the green signal to travel to India for the upcoming Asian Champions Trophy slated to be held in Chennai from 3 August. Pakistan Hockey Federation secretary Haider Hussain confirmed on Friday that the Sports Board has got the NOC from the ministry of interior. The contingent will leave on Tuesday via the Wagah border and travel to Amritsar from where they have been booked on a domestic flight for Chennai, he said. Haider said they were still awaiting visas for three officials including the newly appointed consultant of the national team, Shahnaz Sheikh. The PHF earlier this month named Shahnaz as the senior consultant of the team. Shahnaz, a celebrated hockey name, was the head coach when Pakistan lost in the final of the Champions Trophy in India in 2014. Haider said they were confident of getting the visas on Monday. Visas for the rest of the players and officials had already been issued by the Indian High Commission. Pakistan are scheduled to play their first match against Malaysia on 3 August. The Green Shirts will lock horns with arch-rivals India on 9 August. Pakistan Squad Muhammad Umar Bhatta (c), Akmal Hussain, Abdullah Ishtiaq Khan, Muhammad Abdullah, Muhammad Sufyan Khan, Ehtsham Aslam, Osama Bashir, Aqeel Ahmed, Arshad Liaquat, Muhammad Imad, Abdul Hanan Shahid, Zakaria Hayat, Rana Abdul Waheed Ashraf (Vice Captain), Roman, Muhammad Murtaza Yaqoob, Muhammad Shahzaib Khan, Afraz, Abdul Rahman, while the standby includes Ali Raza, Muhammad Baqir, Muhammad Nadeem Khan, Abdul Wahab, Waqar Ali, Muhammad Arsalan and Abdul Qayyum. Pakistan’s schedule 3 August: vs Malaysia 4 August: vs Korea 6 August: vs Japan 7 August: vs China 8 August: vs India