Thaindian News

Islamabad, July 9 (IANS) Pakistan’s 18-member hockey team has completed its 10-day training camp for the upcoming London Olympics in the northwestern city of Abbottabad, an official said Monday.

The Green-shirts (Pakistani team), after concluding their preparations at home, are now ready to leave for Britain Thursday where they will be engaged in another 10-day training camp at Birmingham.

Pakistan coach and manager Akhtar Rasool Monday told local media the team worked on every aspect of the game during the training sessions and all the players were fit and with high morale.

According to Rasool, Players’ fitness was the main focus during the training camp while the coaches also worked hard to improve penalty-corner conversion, defence and midfield.

The coaching staff also used video analysis for the team’s opponents at Olympics and told players about the possible game plans against them.

“We did everything to improve the players’ game besides focusing on our opponents’ previous performances and moves during the matches,” said Rasool.

During the 10-day camp at Birmingham, the players will have enough time to adjust to the conditions where Olympics will be held.

Pakistani team is likely to play two warm-up matches against Germany and Holland after the Birmingham camp.

July 1, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) announced its 20-member Olympic probable squad which was later trimmed to 18.

Besides retaining penalty corner specialist Sohail Abbas as captain of the team, the PHF selectors had also called back senior players Rehan Butt, Shakeel Abbasi, Mohammad Imran and Waseem Ahmed.

Pakistan have been struggling to get back its lost glory in the Olympics where it had won three gold, three silver and two bronze medals.