ASIAN CHAMPIONS TROPHY HOCKEY: Pakistan to face South Korea on 19th

ISLAMABAD: With just a day to go (October 18) for the start of the much-awaited Asian Champions Trophy Hockey, the top Asian teams including Pakistan have started descending on the beautiful capital city of Muscat (Oman) for a battle of supremacy in the continent.

Pakistan team landed Tuesday in Oman to join other top Asian nations to try their luck in the fifth edition of the event. Pakistan and India are the two Asian teams winning the title twice. Pakistan have got better record as on all four occasions Greenshirts have made it to the final, ending up runners-up twice.

On all four occasions, Malaysia earned bronze with fast improving Japan finishing runners-up behind Pakistan in 2013 edition.

Asian Games gold medallists Japan, coach Siegfried Aikman, a Dutch national of Indian origin, on Monday revealed his team’s strategically approach to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics where they will be gunning for a podium finish.

Aikman, without mincing words said, “We wanted to enter the 2020 Olympic Games not as host nation but as Continental Champions. We had to win big in order to gain that self-confidence that we too can beat big teams and that we are not afraid of teams like Korea, Pakistan, Malaysia or India anymore.”

At the forthcoming Asian Champions Trophy Muscat 2018, Japan will have the platform to reinstate this self-belief and reassert their supremacy in Asia when they take on world No 5 India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Korea, Oman and prove to the world that the Asian Games gold medal was not a one-off incident?

“Of course we will be playing to win every single match but at the same time we will also be testing quite a few young players who are below the age of 20, in order to select a core group that will give us enough options and also create more competition within the team ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games,” stated Aikman.

In a round robin league matches, Pakistan will have to play against all the top teams before the play-off matches. Pakistan’s first match will be against Korea on October 19, followed by match against arch-rivals India on October 20. Pakistan will play against hosts Oman on October 22. Japan will be Pakistan’s next opponent on October 24. Greenshirts will play Malaysia on October 25.

These matches will be followed by play-off matches starting from October 27. Schedule: October 18: Malaysia v Japan; India v Oman; Oct 19: Pakistan v Korea; Oman v Malaysia; Oct 20: Korea v Japan; Pakistan v India; Oct 21: India v Japan; Oct 22: Malaysia v Korea; Oman v Pakistan; Oct 23: Korea v Oman; Malaysia v India; Oct 24: Japan v Pakistan; India v Korea; Oct 25: Pakistan v Malaysia; Japan v Oman; Oct 26: Rest day; Oct 27: semi-finals; Oct 28: Final and play-off for third position.