Pakistan’s National Hockey Team running towards winning back their lost glory
The Chief selector of Pakistan’s National Men’s Hockey team, Hanif Khan believes that the team is headed towards winning back their lost glory.
According to him, they have started travelling towards the right direction and will soon be found ruling the sport worldwide.
The former Olympian reported that the players are playing much better since their gold medal win in the 2010 Asian Games. They have gained back their confidence and it seems that they will be a very strong team in the future.
After observing the performances of the players in the preparatory camp at the Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium in Islamabad, Khan short-listed a total of 28 camp attendants to 22. The camp initiated on April 1 for preparing and selecting the best 18 players
for the 20th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, starting from May 5 in Ipoh, Malaysia.
Khan told, “It was difficult to cut down the players as there was close competition amongst players. However, we are trying to select a balanced side for Azlan Shah Cup keeping in view the 2012 Olympics. I expect a good result from them in the Azlan Shah
Cup.”
The second phase of the training camp is to continue from April 20 that will continue until the final team leaves for Malaysia on May 1. The players have been instructed to report to Hanif Khan one day prior to the camp at the Allama Iqbal Hostel of the
Sports Complex Pakistan.
The Chief selector shared the fact that the fitness level will be the key basis for the selection of the final 18-member squad and that all the 22 players are highly talented.
In the meantime, the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) has honoured a historical opportunity to one of Pakistan’s hockey judge, Zaib-un-Nisa, to judge the Juniors Girls Asian Cup Qualifying Round that is to be held in Bangkok, Thailand from June 4 to 12 this
year.
She will be the first Pakistani woman in the history of hockey to be nominated as a judge for an International hockey event ever. Zaib has been requested to attain an NOC from the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) by the AHF.
Previously, she was offered a chance to participate in the coaching course jointly conducted by FIH-AHF in New Delhi, India in 2004. Then in 2006, she was a deputy coach of Pakistan’s Women National team in Malaysia’s Asian Qualifying round that year.
On April 14, Zaib commented over the good news, “I am thankful to PHF president Qasim Zia and secretary general Mohammad Asif Bajwa who always promoted the game and believed in me. I am looking forward to prove myself for the assignment in Bangkok after
getting NOC from the PHF.”
Later, she worked as a technical official in the 2nd Girls Junior Asia Cup held in Shanghai, China in 2009. Moreover, she was appointed as a contingent judge for the Asian Games Qualifying Rounds in July 2010 along with the Pakistan Women National
team. However, due to the crisis situation prevailing in Bangkok, she missed the opportunity.
Tags: