Greenshirts desperately wait for international hockey

KARACHI: Pakistan senior hockey team coach Olympian Khwaja Junaid has said that Asian Hockey Championship will be the first international event for Greenshirts in two years.

"The players are very desperate to show their skills," said the head coach, while talking to 'The News' from Lahore after PHF’s announcement of the 18-member Pakistan senior hockey team for Asian Hockey Championship to be held in Dhaka from December 14.

He said that players are continuously getting training and till departure on December 10, the training camp would be continued.

He said that the goalkeeping department is weak. "We will have to work hard to improve it but forwards, defenders and penalty drag flickers are in form," he said.

He said that Pakistan is passing through toughest time of its hockey history. Thus, he would not make any "tall claims but only success of Pakistan hockey team at international level can change the direction of Pakistan hockey and each and every member of the team knows this very well."

He said that India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and even Bangladesh on their home ground would be tough opponents and Greenshirts would not take any match easy.

He said that this Asian level hockey event would give "us immense confidence which was shattered during the last two years due to our isolation".