Former Olympian Shahnaz Sheikh wants dire changes in Pakistan Hockey - Part Two
This article is continuation of the previous part in which Shahnaz Sheikh proposed necessary steps for taking the Pakistan hockey team at the top.
The former Olympian was of the opinion that most of the institutions do not have sports facilities which are creating bad impacts on the youngsters. He stated, “Now most of the schools do not have their grounds for sporting activities, consequently indoor
sports have taken over on outdoor activities and character building of new generation though sports has been effected badly.”
The former hockey star remembered his school times when performances of the head masters and principles examined on bases sports activities and positions of the institutions in the events.
It is vital to mention here that the youngsters made another mistake and stopped playing on the natural grass in wait of the Astroturf facilities. This gave the land-mafia a great chance to grab all the empty parts and take over all the good areas.
The former Olympian stated that the need of the hour is Astroturf faculties. However, the players should continue their game until artificial turfs are not being provided in the arenas. He continued saying that the financial assistance should be provided
to hockey players, as done in the sister sport of cricket. The cricket players are getting regular amount to support their families, he added.
Recalling the pass memories, the former Olympian described an incident of 1984 Olympics. He stated that some four to five team members were sons of former players and some critics raised questions in this regards. He, however, stated that the national team
under the energetic supervision of Manzoor Junior lifted the gold medal.
It is worth mentioning here that it was the last gold medal in the Olympics won by the Greenshirts. Commenting on the worth of the Greenshirts, he was of the view that if they considered the recent shows in the European tour where Pakistan was beaten by
low-profile teams including Belgium and France, the third place in the Champions Trophy will be great achievement. The bronze-medal would not only a good success but it would enhance the hopes for earning better position in the London Gala, he added.
Shahnaz Sheikh maintained that the management of the national squad would have to take brave steps if they wanted positive results in the upcoming events. One of the major steps is that the management should retain the senior names in the line-up, as it
is not suitable time for taking risks.
He further stated that the squad should formulate strategy for contesting the matches, as they get under pressure after conceding goals in start or ending. In his views, the players should make less runs and sweeps which take more energy.
The maiden version of the Asian Champions Trophy is going to land in the content from the first week of September. As per the past track record of the Greenshirts, it is great chance for them to win the tournament. They had lifted all the inaugural editions
of the major tournaments including Asian Games, Champions Trophy, World Cup, Asia Cup and Junior World Cup.
Lastly the former Olympian suggested the Greenshirts to play the game with zest and zeal besides timey action.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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