PHF congratulates Waqas for being recognised as an International Umpire: Hockey Update
Waqas Ahmad Butt, who appeared in his first international match in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, held in Malaysia last month, has recently been given recognition by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) as an international umpire. Upon this achievement
Pakistan Hockey Federation’s (PHF) President Qasim Zia and Secretary Asif Bajwa yesterday, on June 3, congratulated Waqas for this promotion.
Waqas is the son of an existing International Hockey Umpire, Jameel Butt. It was an honour for him to be the first to receive this recognition after just one international umpiring experience. Moreover, he is the youngest international umpire in the history
of Pakistan.
He received his first international break on performing brilliantly in many of the national events held last year, within the country. He was graded as ‘A’ by the PHF upon his outstanding performance and was asked to umpire in the Azlan Cup, held in May
in Ipoh. He continued to display his fine abilities who was caught in the spotlight and FIH announced to promote the young Pakistani. His next international appearance will be the upcoming Under-18 Asia Cup Hockey Tournament in Singapore.
Apart from congratulating Waqas, PHF also was grateful to his employer, Pakistan Television Corporation, because of which the hockey body received such an honour.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s national hockey team, which will be visiting Europe for a chain of hockey events next month, will be having their final trials on June 7, in Islamabad’s Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium.
The final 18 members that will be announced will appear in two four-nation hockey tournaments, one that will be held in University College Dublin (UCD) in Dublin, Ireland from June 20-25, and the other that is to take place in Amsterdam, Holland starting
from June 28–July 2. In addition to these teams, three foreign physical trainers will also accompany the national team for their training during the tour.
Moreover, a training camp for the Under-18 side has also begun today, June 4 at the hockey Club of Pakistan Stadium in Karachi.
Out of the total of 23, final 18 will be selected, on June 13, for the Under-18 Asia Cup, to be held next month in Singapore, from June 17-26.
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