New format for the 2011 Rabo Four-Nation Hockey Tournament
The 2011 Rabo Four-Nation Hockey Tournament that was scheduled to begin on June 28 at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen, Netherlands, has been delayed due to alarming weather conditions.
Pakistan’s senior men hockey team was all set for their encounter against the host team, Holland, in the opening match of the event followed by the day’s second match between England and Germany.
However, the organisers suggested the day’s matches to be postponed to June 30, because of a heavy storm, which is expected to hit the area.
However, it has recently been announced that the complete format of the event has been revised according to which it will be played on the format of round robin, which means no semi-final or final will take place and the total points
and goals earned will be considered in order to evaluate each team’s standing in the competition.
This competition is part of the Greenshirts’ Europe tour that will long until one month. The team’s first appearance at the UCD Four-Nations that was held in the University College Dublin (UCD) in Dublin, Ireland, was a remarkable
achievement, where the team lifted the title after beating down the host team by 2-1.
Most expectedly, the team is well-prepared for the Holland event as commented by the team’s captain, Mohammad Imran, in a talk with media on June 28 that the team will meet anticipations of the hockey fans as well as federation’s
expectations.
He admitted, “Although hosts Holland, England and Germany are strong side of the world, but we will give them a tough time and victory will not be easy for them. Pakistan players are in high spirit after winning the four-nation tournament in Dublin.”
Moreover, he also cherished the top class performance being given by the veteran hockey star, Sohail Abbas, currently at 328 international caps. The drag-flick expert provided a great contribution in the finals of Dublin, being the only scorer of the match
from the Pakistan side.
According to Skipper, Imran, this tour is majorly contributing in the preparation of the team for the 2011 Champions Trophy ahead followed by the mega sports gala, 2012 London Olympics.
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