KUALA LUMPUR – The Pakistan national men’s hockey team have high hopes for their younger players to revive the team’s middling performance.
They were once a powerhouse in the sport – having led the rankings in 2000 and 2001 – but have now slipped to 18th spot.
In a statement issued by the Perak Hockey Association, Pakistan coach Ayaz Mehmood said their participation in the 29th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, which will be held in Ipoh from Tuesday (November 1) till November 10, will help them salvage their reputation.
The team failed to qualify for the World Cup in January next year as they did not make it to the Super Four stage of the 2022 Asia Hockey Cup following their 3-2 defeat to Japan in Pool A’s final match.
“We have come with a relatively young team with minimal experience but believe that this is the squad for the resurrection of Pakistan hockey,” said Ayaz, who was also part of the nation’s Olympic gold medal-winning team in 1984.
“The Pakistan Hockey Federation made drastic changes to the team after we failed to qualify for the World Cup and decided that we (will) work with a young squad with the future in mind.”
He added that the average age of the team members is 23, including at least 10 players with minimal to no experience, while only a handful have played in international tournaments.
“We have 36 players who have been in training for a month and the 18 here (for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup) are the best.
“We believe in these players, and they have the potential. They only lack international exposure. But if they fail to perform to expectations, we will replace them with the remaining players from the pool of 36 players.”
For the record, Pakistan have won the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup three times in the past – 1998, 2000, and 2003.
Pakistan will open their campaign on Tuesday against South Africa at 6pm, while Malaysia will take on South Korea at 8pm and Pakistan the following day. – The Vibes, October 30, 2022
