Thaindian News

By Abhishek Roy
New Delhi, Feb 23 (IANS) Twelve months into his job, Pakistan hockey coach Shahid Ali Khan is facing the biggest test of his career — the World Cup.

The 45-year-old Olympian, who was member of the gold-winning team at 1982 Los Angeles Olympics, knows the future of his coaching career hinges on the team’s showing in the Feb 28-March 13 tournament and he is realistic about his team’s chances.

He says if the four-time winners can finish as semi-finalists in the 12-nation tournament, he will be happy.

“We are in a rebuilding phase like India. A semi-final finish is what I am expecting from my boys. We had a good pre-World Cup season and I hope we put up a good show here,” said the former goalkeeper, who had saved the last stroke in the shootout to give Pakistan their second World Cup title in 1982 in Bombay.

“In July, we won a three-match series in England 2-1, no mean feat because they went on to become the European Champions. Then in December, we drew the two-match Test series with the Netherlands in Qatar. In both the series we were without our senior players Sohail Abbas and Zeeshan Ashraf. The results indicate that we are on the right path, but we still have a long way to go,” he said.

On Pakistan playing the opening match against India, Shahid said: “It is always good to get rid of the match against India as early as we can. If we had played India later on in the tournament, our boys would have been obsessed with India match and that would have hampered our overall performance.”

“But now if we can beat India in the first match, our confidence will be high and we can take on other teams in the group without tension.”

The coach pointed out that India are also doing well, but are not good finishers.

“In Salta (Argentina), we won 6-3 against them. But the match was real close and till the last 10 minutes we were locked 3-3. India lost the match in the last 10 minutes. India have a good coach in Jose Brasa but they have do a lot of work before they can even think of winning the World Cup,” he said.

Asked if his team is overdependent on star drag-flicker Sohail Abbas, he said: “Sohail is our match winner. But we have other plans as well and I will reveal them on the field.”

Shahid went on to add that the change in the Pakistan Hockey Association (PHA) has worked as the three-time Olympic champions are on their way to regaining their lost glory.

“Hockey in India and Pakistan has suffered due to the maladministration. But now in PHA we have people who know the game. Our new president Qasim Zia (Olympic and World cup winner) has been able to put in some system in the PHA and has also brought in the money. PHA secretary Asif Bajwa is also an able administrator.”

“Qasim-bhai weilds and enormous power in the political cricle in Pakistan and with his connections has brought in around Rs.350 million for the development of the sport,” said Shahid.

Shahid is happy that with hockey, sporting ties between India and Pakistan have resumed again, after the 26/11 attacks.

“But I was disappointed with the way our cricket players were treated in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction. We are the World Champions and not a single Pakistani player was bought. Sports should be kept out of politics,” he said.