Camp for Azlan Shah Cup in full swing

Hockey players’ fitness the main focus in first phase.

KARACHI:

The Pakistan hockey team is training hard for their next international assignment with the camp, featuring 29 probables, in full swing.

The first phase of training for the 20th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup began on April 1 under the supervision of Dutch coach Michel van den Heuvel in Islamabad’s Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium. It will conclude on April 10 before the players restart their training following a 10-day rest for the tournament to be played from May 5 to 15 in Malaysia.

“The main focus is on fitness,” team manager Khwaja Junaid told The Express Tribune. “The players are showing great enthusiasm under Heuvel and significant improvement can be observed.”

The manager said the final squad for the tournament was expected to be named during the second phase in the third week of April.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 7^th,  2011.