World Hockey XI, A Blend Of Experience And Youth

World Hockey XI, which is touring Pakistan, is a blend of experience and youth and have the services of players of reigning world champions, Australia, Olympics Champions, Argentina and European Champions, Holland

LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Jan, 2018 ) :World Hockey XI, which is touring Pakistan, is a blend of experience and youth and have the services of players of reigning world champions, Australia, Olympics Champions, Argentina and European Champions, Holland.

Beaming with stars and masters of the game from Australia, Argentina and Holland, the World XI also includes players from world number five Germany and the entire team comprises players from world top hockey nations as per international hockey federations rankings.

Legendary Pakistani drag flicker Sohail Abbas is also part of the World XI which will be playing its first match at Karachi on January 19 and the second and the last on January 21 at Lahore. Following are the pen pictures of the World XI players: Rob Reckers (Netherlands), Forward.

209 international caps, Olympic Silver, European Championships Gold, Three Champions Trophy Golds. Roderick Weusthof (Netherlands), One of the most fearsome penalty corner experts of his time. 79 International goals, Olympic Silver, European Championships Gold, Champions Trophy Gold.

Matthijs Brouwer (Netherlands), 211 matches & 68 goals Olympic Silver, World Cup Bronze, European Championships Silver, Three Champions Trophy Golds. Hiddi Turkstra (Netherlands), Not even 20.

International debut at the age of only 15 in 2013. Played at the 2016 Olympics. Philip Meulenbroek (Netherlands), plays for Kampong Hockey Club, who won the Dutch national title after 32 years.

Also won European Hockey League title with the club. Phillip Burrows (New Zealand), three Olympics , NZ's most capped player (343) & top field goal scorer (150), CW Games Silver & Bronze. Kyle Pontifex (New Zealand), Goalkeeper: Played in three Olympics.

Santi Freixa (Spain), Former captain of Spain.

Olympics Silver, European Championships Gold, Champions Trophy Gold at Lahore. Former FIH Young Player of the Year. One of the three inaugural inductees in the European Hockey Federation Hall of Fame Roc Oliva (Spain), Also known as 'Metra' Silver medal at Olympics & European Championships.

David Alegre (Spain), Midfielder played at four Olympics. Silver at Olympics. Gold European Championships. Champions Trophy gold. His brother Ramon is also a hockey international. Grant Schubert (Australia), Has Gold medals from all the big title events: Olympics, World Cup, Commonwealth Games.

Three Champions Trophy Gold Medals. Former FIH Young Player of the Year. Benni Wess (Germany), Defender/Midfielder. Double Olympic gold medallist, World Cup Silver, European Championships Gold.

Younger brother of former German hockey captain Timo Wess. Justus Scharowsky (Germany), Mid fielder. World Cup Gold, Olympic Bronze, Champions Trophy Gold. Aguistin Bugallo (Argentina), has played 24 internationals.

Silver Medal from Hockey World League final in 2017. Gold Medal 2017 Pan American Cup. Nahuel Salis (Argentina), Midfielder & Drag Flicker: Silver Medal from Hockey World League final in 2017. Plays professional club hockey in Belgium.

Diego Paz (Argentina), Midfielder. Silver Medal from Hockey World League final in 2017. Sohail Abbas (Pakistan), Legendary drag flicker holds world record for most goals in international hockey with 348 goals.

Still active in Pakistan's domestic circuit. His other world records, highest number of goals in a Calendar year: 60 goals, fastest to score 100 goals in international hockey: two years six months and 18 days, fastest to score 200 goals in international hockey: five years five months and 16 days.