ISLAMABAD: South Korea’s national men’s hockey team arrived in Pakistan on Monday for a four-match Test series that will serve as part of both teams’ preparations for the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup.
Officials from the Pakistan Sports Board and the Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Division welcomed the visiting squad at Islamabad International Airport.
The South Korean delegation comprises 24 players and officials.
The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), with the approval of its President Mohiuddin Ahmad Wani, also announced the official schedule and technical officials for the series.
The four-match series will take place at the Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium in Islamabad from July 30 to Aug. 7.
The opening Test will be played on July 30. The remaining matches are scheduled for Aug. 1, Aug. 4, and Aug. 7. All games will begin at 5:15 p.m. local time.
The PHF appointed Faiz Muhammad as Umpire Manager. The panel of umpires includes Haroon Rashid, Yasir Khurshid, Fahad Ali Khan, Asad Abbas, and Sajid Raza.
Muhammad Shafiq Bhatti will serve as Technical Delegate. Hamza Tufail, M. Waqas Ahmad, Adnan Shehzad, Mehboob Javed, and Mirza Javed will perform duties as technical officials and judges.
The federation also named Waqas Sheikh as Media Coordinator, Najeeb Khattak as Chief Coordinator, and Habib-ur-Rehman as Assistant to the Chief Coordinator.
The series is expected to provide valuable international match practice for both teams ahead of the World Cup.
Pakistan will compete in the FIH Hockey World Cup from Aug. 15 to Aug. 30 in the Netherlands. The tournament marks Pakistan’s return to the World Cup after an eight-year absence.
Pakistan is currently ranked 12th in the FIH world rankings, while South Korea is ranked 20th.
Pakistan will open its World Cup campaign against England on Aug. 15. It will face Wales on Aug. 17 before taking on arch-rivals India in a highly anticipated group-stage match on Aug. 19.
