Luckless Greenshirts missed the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, says Khawaja Muhammad Junaid
Khawaja Muhammad Junaid, the Manager of the Pakistan’s field hockey team felt that the lack of luck was the main reason behind the Greenshirts’ defeat in the 20th edition of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup that took place in Malaysia
city of Ipoh.
It is vital to mention here that Pakistan hockey team just missed the title after the Kookaburras scored a golden goal in the second half of the extra-time. It was a major drawback for the Greenshirts, who lost the game after a close competition. The
Greenshirts could have lifted the title of the seven-nation invitational, if a little luck would have helped them in the final game, Junaid added.
Speaking to the media after his return to the home country, Manager Khawaja Junaid stated that the final contest was the best competition against the Kookaburras in the recent years that demonstrated an enthralling game. The players from the Pakistan's
side displayed outstanding performances and gave the opponent, Australians, a very tough time.
In his views, it was a very improved show after losing a game in the hands of Australia by 5-1 in the group clash. He stated, “Boys showed a lot of spirit and character in the final despite big defeat earlier. Aussies were surprised with Pakistan team’s
great fight.”
Appraising the performances of youngsters, the Manager stated that the youngsters including Muhammad Imran Junior, Muhammad Rizwan and Syed Kashif Shah rendered wonderful performances throughout the invitational. These young players have a long future
ahead of them, thus, they should learn from the youngsters. Besides the youngsters, Manger also applauded the performances of Rehan Butt, Sohail Abbas and Shakeel Abbasi.
It is pertinent to mention here that Sohail Abbas was the top scorer from the national squad, who notched six goals in the tournament. On the other hand, Shakeel Abbasi was also at his best, who was selected as the Best Player of the tournament.
The Manager further informed that the Greenshirts were awarded the ‘Fair Play Trophy’ for their admirable attitude during the games. In the concluding remarks, he stated that it was overall satisfactory performance which restored the reputation of
the sport.
In the meantime, Samiullah Khan, the former skipper of the Greenshirts, also expressed satisfaction over the impressive show from the national team. He was of the opinion that the squad contested the tournament impressively, especially in the finals
match. He said, “The team’s performance was good especially in the final against Australia. I was not expecting such a fine show by the players. I hope the team would continue its momentum in the Champions Trophy and the Olympics.”
The mutual efforts of the players and management made the silver medal possible.
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