Pakistan are looking towards

KARACHI: Pakistan are looking towards next summer’s Olympic Games in London in a buoyant mood following a couple of positive results on the international circuit in the last six months.

The Greenshirts followed their title-winning triumph at the Asian Games in China late last year with an appearance in the final of the 2011 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup last Sunday where they lost to reigning world champions Australia 2-3 in extra-time.

It is a stunning turnaround for the Pakistanis, who suffered the ignominy of finishing last in the 2010 World Cup in New Delhi last year. At the same venue, they also flopped miserably in the Commonwealth Games last year.

But things are getting better and better for the Pakistanis, who are now hoping to make their presence felt in the 2012 London Games.

Pakistan have won three Olympic gold medals in hockey but their last triumph came way back in 1984 in Los Angeles. In the last three Games, they have even failed to finish on the podium and till a few months back many thought that it will be a similar story in London next year.

Ask Muhammad Imran, Pakistan’s young hockey captain, and he will tell you that any side taking his team for granted will do it at its own peril.

“Everything is falling in place as we prepare ourselves for the Olympic Games,” said Imran, a reliable defender, who was appointed as the national captain after regular skipper Zeeshan Ashraf opted out of the Ipoh assignment.

“We are making the right progress for the Olympic Games which is our main target now,” he added.

“It was a training tour for us and I’m really happy that the boys did a great job. I’m sure that if we continue working then Pakistan will have good chances at the Olympic Games,” he stressed.

Shahid Ali Khan, Pakistan’s assistant coach, is confident that by playing around 50 international matches over the next 12 months his team will get perfectly ready for the Olympics.

“We will play a lot of international matches in Europe, China, Australia and India before going to London and I’m sure that the team will go to London fully prepared,” Shahid told ‘The News’.

Pakistan will embark on a month-long tour of Europe next month during which they will feature in back-to-back quadrangular events in Ireland and Netherlands. They will also play a five-match Test series against the Dutch. Later, Pakistan will take part in the Asian Champions Trophy in China and then tour Australia ahead of December’s Champions Trophy in New Delhi.

Khawaja Junaid, Pakistan’s manager, is of the view that Pakistan have finally managed to find a good mix of youth and experience.

“We have just the right combination of youngsters and experienced players and that is the biggest reason behind the sort of results we have achieved in the Asian Games and the Azlan Shah Cup,” said Junaid.

A former Olympian, Junaid is confident that his charges will continue to improve in the lead up to the Olympics.

“The boys are learning with every match and I’m sure that they will form a better team for London.”

 Source :The News