The Netherlands-based Bully Hockey Club is set to embark on a seven-day tour to Pakistan in February 2024, following an invitation from the Khawaja Junaid Academy located in Lahore. The tour, organized by the ‘Khawaja Junaid Hockey Foundation,’ is scheduled to feature three matches at the National Hockey Stadium in Lahore, taking place between February 17 and 24, 2024.
Fareed Ahmad, the coach of Bully Hockey Club, will lead the team during this international endeavor. The initiative stems from the vision of Khawaja Junaid, an Olympic Bronze medalist from the 1992 Barcelona event. Junaid has played a pivotal role in nurturing local talent by establishing a hockey academy in Lahore, later expanding to Islamabad.
His overarching goal is to revitalize Pakistan’s hockey landscape, harking back to the glory days of the 1990s when the country consistently secured Olympic medals and World Cup titles.
Following his illustrious playing career, Khawaja Junaid transitioned to coaching and served as the head coach of the Pakistan hockey team during the 2017 World Hockey League in London. Returning to lead the team once again, Junaid aspires to guide Pakistan to qualification for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
