Islauddin front-runner to be next Pak hockey coach

Lahore, Jan 5 (UNI) Olympian Islahuddin Siddiqui is likely to land the job as Pakistan names its next hockey coach later this month, according to media reports.

''The News'' quoted ''well-placed sources'' and claimed that Islauddin is the clear favourite to takle over the reigns even though the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) is also considering several other names for the job.

Other Olympians also in the run for the coach's job include Rasheed Jr, Manzoorul Hassan Sr, Khalid Mehmood, Samiullah and Hanif Khan.

Islah, who led Pakistan to their second World Cup triumph in 1978, has coached and managed the side in the past and his last coaching stint was in the Sydney Olympic Games where the side was beaten in the semifinals.

At present, the Pakistani side is without a coach after Shahnza Sheikh gave up the job following the team's poor third finish in the Doha Asian Games.

Flayed by all, the PHF is now planning to put in place a new set of officials to prepare for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and federation president Zafarullah Jamali has reportedly decided to give the next team management a two-year mandate.

The PHF is likely to announce the new team management early so that the team can prepare well for the home-and-away Test series against India early next month.

The eight-match series is scheduled to get underway with the first leg in Pakistan in March.

UNI