Pakistan women's hockey trials: 150 players at Islamabad camp under Dutch coaches Snijder and Justus

The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has gathered 150 women hockey players from across the country at the Islamabad Sports Complex for a training and talent identification camp that will feed the senior and junior women's national teams, the federation said in a statement, ProPakistani reported on Monday 12 October 2026.

The camp is supervised by two senior Dutch coaches, Richard Snijder and Robert Justus, who are also mentoring the players. The Netherlands is the strongest nation in women's hockey, so the federation is borrowing from the system that produces the world's best.

How players are being judged

• Technical skills: stick work, passing, receiving and finishing.
• Physical fitness: speed, endurance and strength tests.
• Tactical understanding: positioning and reading the game.
• Overall potential: whether a player can grow into international level.

The PHF said the aim is to widen the national talent pool and build women's hockey over the long term rather than for a single tournament. It did not publish the camp's dates, age limits or how the 150 were chosen, and it has not said when the squads will be named.

Why it matters

A camp of 150 players, with foreign coaches assessing every one of them, gives players from smaller cities a chance to be seen by national selectors.

If you play hockey

The PHF statement does not mention open registration for this camp. Players who want to be considered in future should keep in touch with their district and provincial hockey associations and watch the PHF's official announcements. For other sport this week, see our sports desk and the Asian Games 2026 schedule in Pakistan time.