ISLAMABAD: China’s Guangdong men’s hockey team arrived in Pakistan on Monday for a 13-day tour featuring matches against leading departmental sides and a Pakistan under-18 team.
Officials of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) received the visiting delegation on arrival and presented the players and team members with traditional flower garlands and bouquets.
The tour includes matches against MPCL, Pakistan Army, Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Customs, Pakistan Rangers and Pakistan Police. The Chinese side will also play a fixture against a Pakistan under-18 team in Gojra.
Guangdong will open its competitive engagements against MPCL at the MPCL Hockey Stadium in Rawalpindi on Tuesday. The team will then face Pakistan Army at the GHQ Stadium, Rawalpindi, on Wednesday.
After a rest day, the visitors will take on Pakistan Navy at the Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium in Islamabad on October 23.
The Chinese team will later travel to Lahore, where it will play Pakistan Customs at the DHA Hockey Stadium on October 25. Guangdong will meet Pakistan Rangers at the Sports Complex in Narowal on October 26.
Following another rest day on October 27, Guangdong will face the Pakistan under-18 side at the National Hockey Stadium in Gojra on October 28. The visiting team will play its final match against Pakistan Police at the DHA Hockey Stadium, Lahore, on October 29, before departing Pakistan on October 30.
The tour is expected to provide Pakistan’s leading departmental teams an opportunity to assess their match readiness against international opposition. It will also allow coaches to evaluate tactical discipline, defensive organisation and attacking efficiency.
The match against the under-18 side in Gojra will give emerging players exposure to a different style of hockey and help identify promising talent as well as areas requiring improvement ahead of future competitions.
The matches are also aimed at strengthening hockey ties between Pakistan and China and supporting efforts to revive the national game through regular international competitions.
