PHF announces comprehensive roadmap to improve hockey

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Jun, 2026) The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has announced a comprehensive and expanded National Hockey Development Roadmap aimed at improving the standard of hockey in the country, bringing women players to the forefront, promoting the sport at the grassroots level, and strengthening Pakistan's position internationally.

The most crucial aspect of this new reform campaign is elevating women’s hockey to a higher level. For the first time, the PHF has placed special emphasis on creating structured developmental pathways for female athletes, said a press release.

From now on, all national-level competitions will fully integrate both men’s and women’s categories at the Under-16 and Under-18 levels, marking a historic milestone in the history of Pakistan hockey. Furthermore, the PHF will exclusively organize the "Under-18 Girls National Hockey Championship," which will serve as the Primary platform for talent selection for the future national team and international competitions.

To provide international exposure to junior players, the PHF will send Pakistani squads to participate in competitions held in Oman. These squads will include the Pakistan Under-21 Junior Men’s Hockey Team, the Pakistan Under-18 Boys Hockey Team, and the Pakistan Under-18 Girls Hockey Team.

These teams will participate in international development competitions, including 5-a-side formats and youth leagues, in Oman in July this year. The initiative aims to provide valuable global exposure to both emerging male and female athletes.

A nationwide campaign is being launched to strengthen the hockey system at the school and grassroots levels. Under this initiative, infrastructure will be upgraded, access to coaching will be enhanced, and talent-scouting networks will be activated. This will ensure equal opportunities for boys and girls across all regions, establishing a sustainable pipeline of players from schools to the national level.

In this regard, more than 1,000 hockey kits will be distributed in phases across schools. Concurrently, to groom mentors, formal training will be provided under the PHF Coaching education Program, enabling these coaches to develop new players at the grassroots level.

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The PHF has also decided to introduce a modern match-by-match performance review system for the senior national hockey team. This mechanism will commence from the very first day of participation in the FIH Pro League and will extend through all major global events, including the Hockey World Cup, Asian Games, and other international tournaments. Unlike in the past, this performance evaluation will be immediate and real-time. Team selection, tactical decisions, and player utilization will be based on match performance data, technical feedback from coaches, opinions of independent match observers, and recommendations from the Professional Development Committee. This evidence-based accountability framework will allow for timely interventions, squad optimization, and tactical improvements.

National hockey programs across all tiers—senior, junior, and women’s hockey—will be equipped with state-of-the-art performance technology, analytics systems, and specialized support units to identify and rectify players' technical, physical, and tactical shortcomings. The federation remains firmly committed to modernizing coaching methodologies.

A quarterly review system will remain in place to evaluate the performance of all stakeholders, including the management, coaching staff, and administrative structure. To ensure complete transparency, the President of the PHF and senior leadership have also been included in this accountability framework, allowing for immediate course correction whenever necessary.

As the final phase of this roadmap, the PHF is in the advanced stages of consultation with international partners to appoint a world-class fitness and high-performance coach. This expert will design and implement a modern, scientific fitness framework for the senior national team to align Pakistan hockey with elite global standards.

This comprehensive reform agenda reflects the Pakistan Hockey Federation's unwavering commitment to the revival of the sport, transparency, accountability, and ensuring long-term success at every level.