Pakistan appoint Herman Kruis as National Hockey Coaching Advisor

KARACHI: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) on Wednesday announced the appointment of renowned Dutch coach Herman Kruis as the National Hockey Coaching Advisor for the men's team.

According to the federation, Kruis, who is a highly respected Dutch hockey coach and high-performance expert with decades of international experience, has been initially roped in for a two-year engagement.

Kruis's tasks as the advisor include guiding the PHF in strengthening the country's hockey ecosystem and working closely with the senior and junior national teams, and assisting in building modern coaching and player development systems.

He will also help establish a sustainable high-performance framework for Pakistan hockey, besides providing technical guidance while working alongside specialist coaches in various disciplines and contributing to the development of Pakistan's overall hockey infrastructure, coaching pathways, and talent identification programmes, said the PHF.

The PHF further shared that Kruis will join the national team at the commencement of the upcoming FIH World Cup, where he will work alongside the coaching staff during a transition period.

Following the mega event, will formally lead the planning and preparation of the Pakistan senior and junior teams for major international competitions, including the Asian Games and other international events.

Notably, the federation described Kruis's appointment as the first in a series of international technical engagements it planned as part of its comprehensive strategy to revive Pakistan hockey, adding that additional world-class specialist coaches and technical experts will be announced in the coming months.