Inclusion of more Asian teams in the World Hockey Cup welcomed

Inclusion of more Asian teams in the World Hockey Cup welcomed.

Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Secretary Muhammad Asif Bajwa has welcomed the decision.

Inclusion of more Asian teams in the World Hockey Cup

He lauded the decision of inclusion of more Asian teams in the World Hockey Cup.

The team will play play World Hockey Cup in early 2023 in India.

The game’s ruling body, the International Hockey Federation, in its recent executive board meeting decided to give direct qualification to top three teams of the Asia Cup.

Asif Bajwa noted it as a very a encouraging decision for the further development of hockey in Asia.

He cited in the past only the winner of the Asia Cup had direct qualification into the World Cup.

Top three teams directly playing in the World Cup will definitely make the Asia Cup more challenging and competitive with every participating team aiming to win a berth in the Cup, said the PHF official while talking to APP in Lahore.

He said the FIH decision had boosted Pakistan’s chances to qualify for the next World Cup.

The green shirts enjoy good record in the Asia Cup due to their good performance in the previous editions of the event.

Notably, Pakistan has won the Asia Cup thrice.

Pakistan finished as runners up also three times.

Interestingly, Pakistan secured third place for similar number of years.

It also happened in the history of the Asia Cup that Pak team got out of the first round of the Cup in 2007 in India.

Pakistan team has to go a long way in regaining its glittering past

“If you look at the our team’s previous record, it supports our claim of now having bright chances to play in the World Cup,“ said Asif Bajwa.

He further said “But it does not mean that we should be feeling contended with our record and not to aim to win the Asia Cup to emerge as the top ranking team in Asia and to improve our ranking in Asia .”

The PHF secretary said that Pakistan team has to go a long way in regaining its glittering past.

He urged the team to revive its sagging hockey fortune in the given circumstances when its struggling at a very low position at international level.