LAHORE: Pakistan hockey team captain Ammad Butt believes victories against India in next month’s FIH Pro League matches could help revive the country’s hockey fortunes and improve the team’s global standing.
Speaking during a training camp at Lahore’s National Hockey Stadium on Saturday, Ammad said Pakistan’s upcoming matches against India would carry significance beyond the results because of the rivalry’s international appeal.
“The Pakistan-India matches are always enjoyed by the entire world. I think our hockey’s revival will start if we win the forthcoming matches against India in the Pro League,” Ammad said.
Pakistan are scheduled to play two matches each against Belgium and Spain in Belgium from June 13 to 20 in the next phase of the 2025-26 FIH Pro League. The team will then face England and India in England from June 23 to 27.
The Pro League campaign is part of Pakistan’s preparations for the Hockey World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands from Aug. 15 to 30.
Focus on rankings and Olympic qualification
Ammad said Pakistan aim to improve their world ranking and qualify for future international tournaments, including the next edition of the Pro League and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
India, who won bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics, remain one of the strongest sides in world hockey, according to the Pakistan captain.
“However, we will focus on winning against them not only to improve our world ranking but also to qualify for the next edition of the Pro League,” he said.
Pakistan recently returned to the World Cup after an eight-year absence. Ammad credited the team’s participation in earlier Pro League matches against Argentina, the Netherlands, Germany and Australia for helping the squad gain valuable experience.
“Our main target is to reach the semi-final of the World Cup in order to improve our ranking,” he said. “The next target is to win the Asian Games title to directly qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.”
Team working on fitness and defense
Ammad acknowledged Pakistan’s struggles in the earlier stage of the Pro League, where the team lost all eight matches, but said the performances helped expose areas requiring improvement.
He identified defense, penalty-corner conversion and fitness as key areas being addressed during the ongoing national training camp under head coach Manzoor-ul-Hasan Senior.
“In coming days we will be more focused on bringing improvement in defense and converting penalty corners,” Ammad said. “Another key area is fitness.”
The captain also highlighted the gap between Asian and European hockey, particularly in structure and physical standards.
“Competing against European teams, we noticed there is a lot of difference in the standard, especially in fitness and structure,” he said.
Despite the setbacks, Ammad said the team showed progress during matches in Australia and expected improved performances in the remaining Pro League fixtures.Pakistan vs India hockey
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