Karachi: Pakistani Hockey forces have gone to Dhaka to take part in the Asian champion trophy without a goalkeeper on line-up due to a visa problem.
Asif Bajwa, Secretary of the Pakistani Hoki Federation (PHF), said the two goalkeepers in Pakistani camp, Amjad Ali and Mazhar Abbas, were not visas for Bangladesh.
“Because of the unusual situation, the squad has gone to Dhaka without a goalkeeper,” said Bajwa.
He said that as an emergency step, PHF has decided to send two goalkeepers who recently represented Pakistan at the Junior World Cup in India – Abdullah and Waqar.
“Because they got a visa Bangladesh, we sent them now to Dhaka because we could not risk waiting for a visa to arrive for the senior goalkeeper,” he said.
Interestingly PHF on the recommendation of the goalkeeper coach, Ahmed Alam had summoned seniors, Mazhar and Amjad, to the Champions Cup camp.
“At first we have decided to keep the junior team goalkeeper for the senior event but after a bad team show at the Junior World Cup coach of the goalkeeper find it would be better to remember the senior goalkeeper,” said Bajwa.
He said this was the reason why visas had not been obtained on time for Amjad and Mazhar because they were last minute extra in the camp while Abdullah and Waqar had a visa issued.