Senior team to have specialist coaches, physical trainer: Sardar

KARACHI: Pakistan senior hockey team’s training camp started at Abdul Sattar Hockey Stadium, here on Tuesday.

The camp will be continued till the departure of the national team to Musqat, Oman, where a four-nation tournament will be held in the third week of February. Pakistan’s head coach-cum-manager Olympian Hasan Sardar said after each three days training, there would be a rest day.

“We have noticed the shortcomings of the team due to which in the recent past the Green-shirts failed in a couple of tournaments. We have a plan which will be gradually implemented to address these problems,” he added.

It is pertinent to mention here that poor finishing, missing of open chances, lack of coordination among forwards and defenders, stopping of the ball, exhaustion before finishing the match and poor goalkeeping have been identified as the problems with the senior team.

Pakistan hockey team lost many matches in the last three to four minutes after taking lead. Sardar said it was the time of specialization. “Thus, I have recommended to PHF that an specialist goalkeeping coach, a PC specialist and a highly qualified physiotherapist should be hired to prepare the team for facing the strongest teams of the world in Commonwealth Games, Champions Trophy, Asian Games and World Cup.

“I, Rehan Butt, and Saqlain were all forwards. Thus, there is need for a goalkeeping coach and a PC coach. “In the coming days, the strength of the team management will be increased,” he said. He also mentioned that physical exercise, diet and training were very important in modern-day hockey. Thus, he wanted a highly qualified physical instructor who knows modern-day physical training.

Sardar hinted that physical instructor may be a foreigner. PHF is trying its best to hire the services of a foreign trained physical instructor. Sardar said physical training will be done in the morning session. “Gym training will be an integral part of it because our players need to have strong muscles,” he said. He said that PHF had planned to send around 25 players to Oman so that each and every deserving player could be tested before the big events.