Pakistan Hockey team has received a no-objection certificate (NOC) to participate in the upcoming Hockey Asian Champions Trophy 2023. The Green Shirts are set to travel to India on 1st August 2023, Monday. The continental tournament will get underway from 3rd August.
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Pakistan Hockey team receives NOC at the last minute
According to a report from Pakistan Media Geo SuperTV, The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) issued the No-Objection Certificate (NOC) on Thursday. “The NOC was issued after getting clearance from the concerned ministries and other relevant authorities,” PSB said in a statement.
With just a week to go, the team was unsure of its participation in the tournament. There were reports that the team’s travel to India will be under threat if they did not receive the NOC before July 27. It was the last working day in the country before the Moharram holidays. However, the NOC has been issued at the last minute.
As per the reports, Olympian Shahnaz Sheikh will be the team’s head coach during the course of the tournament. Shahnaz recently joined the team as a consultant and has already begun working with the players. Meanwhile, Muhammad Umar Bhatta will be the captain.
Pakistan Hockey team will start the campaign against Malaysia on August 3. They will also play India, South Korea, Japan and China in the event. Hosts India will face Pakistan on August 8.
Pakitsan and India are the only teams to win the event three times. In 2018, Pakistan Hockey team was adjudges as the joint-winners alongside arch-rival India. The team also known as the ‘Green Shirts’ also won the event in 2012 and 2013. They finished in the fourth place in the most recent edition in 2021.
Pakistan gets NOC for Hockey Asian Champions Trophy, to reach Chennai on August 1
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