{"id":10853,"date":"2026-08-10T17:39:57","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T17:39:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=10853"},"modified":"2026-08-10T17:39:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T17:39:57","slug":"pakistan-hockey-federation-elevates-goalkeeping-coach-to-head-coach-hours-before-leaving-for-world-cup-hockey-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=10853","title":{"rendered":"Pakistan Hockey Federation elevates goalkeeping coach to head coach hours before leaving for World Cup | Hockey News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-133109029,imgsize-646598,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/pakistan-hockey-team-player-file-photo.jpg\" alt=\"Pakistan Hockey Federation elevates goalkeeping coach to head coach hours before leaving for World Cup\" title=\"Pakistan hockey team player (File photo)\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Ta7d_ img_cptn\"><span title=\"Pakistan hockey team player (File photo)\">Pakistan hockey team player (File photo)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Pakistan will enter the FIH World Cup with goalkeeping coach Bob Johan Veldhof as their head coach after Herman Kruis returned to the Netherlands to continue with his existing assignment.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"2\"\/>The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) announced the change just hours before the Pakistan squad left for the World Cup. Kruis, who had initially been appointed head coach, will instead work as an adviser to the federation, while Veldhof will take charge of the national team.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"4\"\/>The PHF had brought in the Dutch coaching group of Kruis, Veldhof and Christopher Bowen after the FIH Pro League in Europe in June-July. They were appointed as head coach, goalkeeping coach and assistant coach respectively as part of a change to Pakistan&#8217;s coaching staff.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"8\"\/>Kruis had told the PHF that he would only be able to take up a full-time coaching role with the Pakistan team after the World Cup, news agency PTI reported, quoting a source.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"10\"\/>\u201cHe had left for the Netherlands to continue with his present assignment, but the PHF remained hopeful that he would still be available to the team during the World Cup, which is being held in Belgium and the Netherlands,\u201d a source was quoted as saying by PTI.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"13\"\/>Kruis later made it clear that he would not be able to work full-time with the Pakistan squad during the tournament. The PHF then decided to hand the head coaching role to Veldhof instead of appointing a former Pakistan player.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"15\"\/>Former Pakistan Olympian Farhan Khan said Veldhof&#8217;s lack of experience as a head coach could be a concern.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"17\"\/>\u201cVeldhof will no doubt be invaluable for our goalkeepers, but his lack of experience as a head coach is a concern. <!-- -->In modern hockey, the head coach calls all the shots with the help of his assistant coaches and video analyst,\u201d Khan said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"21\"\/>Pakistan, four-time world champions, will now begin the tournament with Veldhof, who was originally brought in to work specifically with the team&#8217;s goalkeepers, leading the coaching staff.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"24\"\/>Pakistan are in Pool D alongside India, England and Wales. They will begin their campaign against England at the Wagener Stadion in Amstelveen on August 15.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"27\"\/>The 16 teams have been divided into four pools of four. The top two teams from each pool will advance to the second round.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"29\"\/>The top two teams from each of the two second-round pools will qualify for the semifinals. The winners of the semifinals will meet in the final.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"31\"\/>The FIH World Cup will be jointly hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands from August 15 to 30.<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/sports\/hockey\/top-stories\/pakistan-hockey-federation-elevates-goalkeeping-coach-to-head-coach-hours-before-leaving-for-world-cup\/articleshow\/133108826.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pakistan hockey team player (File photo) Pakistan will enter the FIH World Cup with goalkeeping coach Bob Johan Veldhof as their head coach after Herman Kruis returned to the Netherlands to continue with his existing assignment.The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) announced the change just hours before the Pakistan squad left for the World Cup. Kruis, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10854,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10853","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/pakistan-hockey-team-player-file-photo.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/pakistan-hockey-team-player-file-photo.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/pakistan-hockey-team-player-file-photo.jpg","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/pakistan-hockey-team-player-file-photo.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/pakistan-hockey-team-player-file-photo.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/pakistan-hockey-team-player-file-photo.jpg","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/pakistan-hockey-team-player-file-photo.jpg","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/pakistan-hockey-team-player-file-photo.jpg","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/pakistan-hockey-team-player-file-photo.jpg","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/pakistan-hockey-team-player-file-photo.jpg","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/pakistan-hockey-team-player-file-photo.jpg","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/pakistan-hockey-team-player-file-photo.jpg","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/pakistan-hockey-team-player-file-photo.jpg","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/pakistan-hockey-team-player-file-photo.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"Pakistan hockey team player (File photo) Pakistan will enter the FIH World Cup with goalkeeping coach Bob Johan Veldhof as their head coach after Herman Kruis returned to the Netherlands to continue with his existing assignment.The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) announced the change just hours before the Pakistan squad left for the World Cup. Kruis, [&hellip;]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":1,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":3,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/pakistan-hockey-team-player-file-photo.jpg",400,225,false],"medium":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/pakistan-hockey-team-player-file-photo.jpg",300,169,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/pakistan-hockey-team-player-file-photo.jpg",150,84,false]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/author\/admin"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"<a href=\"#\" class=\"category-link category-link-31\">\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36<\/a>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10853","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10853"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10853\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10854"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10853"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10853"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10853"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}