Pakistan Hockey Federation announces Junior Hockey Team for European Tour
Pakistan Hockey Federation’s (PHF) Selection Committee has declared an 18-man Pakistan junior squad for a European tour this month. The tour is part of PHF’s preparations for the Youth Olympics scheduled to be held in Singapore in August 2010.
Khawaja Junaid, Pakistan’s junior team Head Coach said that the players could never become first-class players until and unless they are given a chance to play against the top teams such as Australia, Holland, and Germany in an international arena.
“Players would not gain anything by playing against lowly-ranked teams and by winning matches against them even by good margins. We only look for consolation by playing against weak teams and bag some victories. However, this would only make the situation worse and the teams, senior or junior, would gain nothing and learn nothing”.
He added that while planning matches for the national senior and junior teams, PHF should concentrate more on top ranked teams. He appreciated PHF’s decision to send the junior team to tour Europe.
“The Federation is doing a good thing by organising this tour for the national junior team against top teams such as Holland.”
Pakistan’s junior hockey team will take part in a tri-nation series planned in Holland from June 25 to 28, in which the host team, Belgium would also partake. The team will leave for Belgium on June 29, where it will play three test matches against the hosts, Holland.
The coach said that Pakistani players need an exposure against tough European conditions. He said that the players will learn a lot by playing against hosts while also getting familiar with undesirable conditions.
Khawaja Junaid also added that the players will learn a lot from the European teams as they are advancing by leaps and bounds. This may enable the Pakistan team to beat Europeans in major events.
While talking about the 18-man squad of the junior hockey team that was announced on Monday, Junaid said, “We kept in mind that only those players be included in the junior side who could give around 10 to 12 years to the country, first as junior player and later in the senior squad.”
About his recent spell with the senior side of Green Shirts, he said that they introduced young blood in the national senior team for the recently concluded Azlan Shah Cup and the side gave some good results, finishing fifth, in the tournament.
Green Shirts were in the competition for the final berth till the end of the league matches in the tournament, however, some wrong decisions from the referee and Pakistan’s sheer bad luck pushed them back and they finished fifth.
The junior squad was finalised after one-day trials in Islamabad.
Kashif Shah has been appointed as the Captain with forward player Mohammad Umair as his deputy. Adnan Shakoor and Mazhar Abbas are the two goalkeepers while Mohammad Usman Aslam, Mohammad Amir Sultan and Waseem Iqbal will play as fullbacks. Kashif Shah, Muhammad Rizwan, Muhammad Suhaib and Muhammad Amir Ashiq will make up the halves.
The forward line of the team will consist of Muhammad Umair (the vice-captain), Muhammad Irfan, Muhammad Adnan, Arslan Qadir, Ahmad Zubair, Sheharyar,Muhammad Salman, Shjaat Ali and Ali Shan.
Ali Haider, Fahad Khan, Yasir Ali, Muhammad Junaid, Muhammad Zuhaib, Abdul Karim and Kamran Asif are standbyes.
Khawaja Muhammad Junaid, who was appointed as coach of the national team for the recent Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, will be the Head Coach of the junior team while Danish Kaleem, Anjum Saeed, and Ajmal Khan will be his assistants. Dr. Asad Abbas Shah will be the official doctor of the team.
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