Juniors to be at their peak by July: Danish Kaleem

KARACHI: The head coach of Pakistan junior hockey team Olympian Danish Kaleem has said that the junior players would be be continuously engaged in different activities to maintain their form and fitness.

On Wednesday, the training camp conluded and the players were sent home. These players will participate in the two domestic departmental hockey tournaments organised in Gojra and Sadiqabad.

Danish, while talking to ‘The News’ at Abdul Sattar Edhi hockey stadium, said that it is expected that the training camp of another group of players would be organised from the first week of March, most probably in Karachi.

He said the team management of the juniors would take the players gradually to their peak through training camps, competitions, and individual training by July when they have to participate in Junior Asia Cup.

He said that all players in the training camp played well and there was no injury. The camp continued for 12 days.

He said that it is good that players did not complain of fatigue and each player got attention.

He said that team management has more than four months to train and prepare the boys for Junior Asia Cup 2021.

‘We are compelled to train these players only through domestic activities because of COVID,’ the head coach said.

‘We have selected a bunch of most talented and skillful players from across the country for preparation for the Asia Cup 2021. We believe that the juniors will perform well. We will not make any tall claims. We hope that our team will perform well in Bangladesh in Junior Asia Cup, winch is the qualifying round for World Cup,’ he added.

Danish predicted that the junior hockey team has some future stars. ‘If they continue their hard work and struggle they will earn their name in world hockey and indeded Pakistan hockey will rise when these juniors graduate to the senior team,’ he said.

He said that they have some talented PC specialists, dangerous forwards, strong defenders and goalkeepers.