Pakistan at 5th Junior Women’s Hockey Asia Cup

Saad_UAE · Dec 12th, 2008, 10:14 PM

Starting today Pakistan Junior women hockey team would participate in the 5th Junior Women’s Asia Cup being held in Malaysia.

Top 3 teams would advance to the Junior Women’s Hockey World Cup in USA.

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LAHORE - Opportunist striker Saman Islam, member of Lahore-based sporting family, will be in action when Pakistan will take on Thailand in the Group-A encounter of 5th Junior Women Asia Hockey Cup at Malaysia’s Seremban Two Hockey Stadium on Saturday.

Other teams in the Group are holders China, Japan, Malaysia while Group B bracketted three-time champions South Korea, India, Singapore and Chinese Taipei.

Chauburji-born Saman is sister of international footballers Muhammad Ahmed (KRL) and Muhammad Salman (Wohaib FC) and she won the gold when Railways surprised Wapda in 30th National Games Hockey final 2007 at Karachi. Her younger sister Sarah represented Punjab in 4th National Women Soccer Championship last August.

“Organised by the AHF since 1992, the event features the players at the age of under 21 and regularly held once in four years. Korea is the most successful team having won the tournament thrice in 1992, 1996 and 2000. China lifted the trophy once in 2004,” said Kinnaird College’s student Saman whose father Muhammad Islam is secretary general of Lahore District Football Referees Association.

The event will comprise 16 league matches, followed by 20th December semi-finals. Final and the positional matches will be held on 21 December. The top three of the event will join USA, Argentina, Australia, Belarus, Chile, Egypt, England, Spain, Germany, Lithuania, Holland, New Zealand and South Africa in 6th Women’s Junior World Cup, slated to run at Harvard University, Boston (USA) from Aug 3-18, 2009.

Meanwhile, PSWA’s Secretary Manzoor Ali Arif praised the efforts of PHF President Qasim Zia who was instrumental for debut of Pakistan in the quadrennial event and he also congratulated Chief selector Hassan Sardar, PHF (Women Wing) Secretary Parveen Sikander Gill for fair/meritful selection.

Pakistan Women U21 team will be comprised of :

Goal-keepers: Rizwana, Imrana Sattar

Defenders: Sehrish Ghumman (C), Nadia Kazim (VC), Zaib Un Nisa

Midfielders: Munaza Irum, Zakia Nawaz, Shahida Ghulam, Asma Ashraf, Nain Tara, Mumtaz Malik

Strikers: Hina Kanwal, Nazia Rehmat, Saman Islam, Muqadas Akbar, Gulshan Tahira, Aisha Bashir, Bushra Nazir

Team officials: Parveen Sikander Gill (Manager), Akhlaq Ahmad (Coach), Chand Parveen/Muhammad Parvez (Assistant Coaches), Fiza Naureen (Physio), Rahat Khan (Umpire)

Schedule of Pakistan’s matches in Group-A
Dec 13: v Thailand
Dec 14: v Japan
Dec 17: v Malaysia
Dec 18: v China.

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