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Pakistan Hockey Resolves Coaching Dispute, Sets Departure for Egypt Qualifiers

Interim hockey leadership installs a new coaching team to refocus players on Egypt World Cup qualifying.

Overview

  • Captain Ammad Shakeel Butt said team demands were addressed and credited interim PHF chief Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi for stabilising preparations.
  • The squad is slated to leave Islamabad on February 24 for Cairo, with qualifiers running March 1–7; Pakistan face Malaysia, Austria and China, and a semi-final berth would secure a World Cup spot.
  • Players are training at night during Ramazan under the newly appointed staff after a coaching standoff was settled ahead of departure.
  • Wani previously lifted the two-year ban on Butt, pledged transparent elections and governance fixes, coordinated logistics with Pakistan’s ambassador in Egypt, and redirected resources by closing the PHF’s Islamabad office.
  • Naqvi met players, ordered immediate arrangements for travel, camp and medical care, and distributed one million rupees to each player, following the Australia tour fiasco where the team stayed in Airbnbs despite PSB funds and reported doing their own cleaning.