KARACHI: Pakistan Whites coach Olympian Muhammad Saqlain is optimistic that the Green-shirts would perform well in the SAF Games in Gwahati, India, next month.
“There will be a tough encounter with India,” he said while talking to ‘The News’.
Pakistan Whites training camp is in operation at HCP to prepare for the SAF Games. There are 40 players in the camp.
Trials to select Pakistan Whites are likely to be held on January 26 at HCP.
Saqlain said that keeping in view the experience of last Champions Trophy match against India which generated controversies, the Pakistan Whites players had been directed to focus only on playing the game, showing their skills and going all out to beat India and avoid any sledging. “Our players will avoid sledging. They will only respond through their game,” Saqlain said.
Traditionally the SAF Games hockey history is that the final is played between India and Pakistan as the other regional teams are very weak.
Pakistan are the defending champions as the Green-shirts won back-to-back gold medals in SAF Games in 2006 and 2010.
Pakistan Whites play their first match on February 7 against Afghanistan. They will play their second match against Bangladesh.
Saqlain said that all players were in good shape because they recently played in the national hockey championship.
Those players who performed well in the national championship are participating in the training camp.
“The national championship’s top scorer PIA’s Ihsanulla, Tosiq and Aleem Bilal are being prepared for penalty corners. Ihsanullah is our priority as PC expert,” he said.
The coach further said that Khurrum Ameen, who had been declared the best goalkeeper, was working with Pakistan national team’s goalkeeper Imran Butt.
“We have a good forward line, including Olympian Haseem Khan. He is the spearhead as the centre forward, while Arsalan Qadir, Ali Shan, Fareed Ahmed, Rashid, Samiullah, Bilal and Owaisur Rehman are the forwards who are promising and coaching staff is working hard on them to give tough time to India,” said the former Pakistan captain.
He said that the training would not be affected by the Chief of Naval Staff Hockey Championship which starts at HCP from January 19. “We do our practice in the morning,” he said.
Meanwhile, the PHF has decided that the participants of the Pakistan Whites training camp, if they belong to any participating team of the Chief of Naval Staff Championship, would be allowed to represent their department.