Champions Trophy preparations: Hearts racing at hockey training camp
Pakistan team probables focus on speed and fitness.
KARACHI:
With the Champions Trophy around the corner, the Pakistan hockey team probables are undergoing extensive training drills as they prepare for the high-profile tournament, due to take place next month in New Zealand.
The tournament is also crucial since it will help the management finalise the squad for the 2012 London Olympics.
Various Olympians have also predicted at least a bronze medal for Pakistan in London if they manage to finish among the top four in the eight-nation event in Auckland.
Realising the importance, the team management said that all-out efforts were being made to prepare the players for the Champions Trophy, starting on December 3.
Focus on speed and finishing, says manager
Pakistan’s last assignment was the tri-nation event where the Greenshirts beat hosts Australia 4-3 in the final. While the win was praised by the country’s hockey federation, the victory came after Pakistan suffered twin losses to the world champions prior to the final. The two heavy defeats in the tournament, where they also drew twice against India, exposed Pakistan’s weaknesses against quality oppositions but team manager Khwaja Junaid said the team was focusing on improvement.
“We’ve arranged a balanced but extensive training camp,” Junaid told The Express Tribune from Islamabad where the camp is underway.
“The Australia tour gave us good understanding about our weaknesses and we’re trying to remove them. In comparison to top teams, we greatly lack in fitness and finishing while speed is the major difference.
“Our players lack speed because they haven’t faced top oppositions for a long time but now things are getting better,” added Junaid.
The Olympian added that each player was being focused on individually.
“We’re also using devices to assess speed and monitor heart rates of the players while they’re running. It gives a good idea of a player’s stamina and then we can work on him accordingly.”
The manager added that the team will play a practice match against Germany before the Champions Trophy.
Meanwhile, penalty-corner specialist Sohail Abbas and goal-keeper Salman Akbar, who missed the opening days of the camp, have now joined it.
The trials for the final team selection will be held on November 20 with the squad announcement expected to be on the same day.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 17th, 2011.
With the Champions Trophy around the corner, the Pakistan hockey team probables are undergoing extensive training drills as they prepare for the high-profile tournament, due to take place next month in New Zealand.
The tournament is also crucial since it will help the management finalise the squad for the 2012 London Olympics.
Various Olympians have also predicted at least a bronze medal for Pakistan in London if they manage to finish among the top four in the eight-nation event in Auckland.
Realising the importance, the team management said that all-out efforts were being made to prepare the players for the Champions Trophy, starting on December 3.
Focus on speed and finishing, says manager
Pakistan’s last assignment was the tri-nation event where the Greenshirts beat hosts Australia 4-3 in the final. While the win was praised by the country’s hockey federation, the victory came after Pakistan suffered twin losses to the world champions prior to the final. The two heavy defeats in the tournament, where they also drew twice against India, exposed Pakistan’s weaknesses against quality oppositions but team manager Khwaja Junaid said the team was focusing on improvement.
“We’ve arranged a balanced but extensive training camp,” Junaid told The Express Tribune from Islamabad where the camp is underway.
“The Australia tour gave us good understanding about our weaknesses and we’re trying to remove them. In comparison to top teams, we greatly lack in fitness and finishing while speed is the major difference.
“Our players lack speed because they haven’t faced top oppositions for a long time but now things are getting better,” added Junaid.
The Olympian added that each player was being focused on individually.
“We’re also using devices to assess speed and monitor heart rates of the players while they’re running. It gives a good idea of a player’s stamina and then we can work on him accordingly.”
The manager added that the team will play a practice match against Germany before the Champions Trophy.
Meanwhile, penalty-corner specialist Sohail Abbas and goal-keeper Salman Akbar, who missed the opening days of the camp, have now joined it.
The trials for the final team selection will be held on November 20 with the squad announcement expected to be on the same day.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 17th, 2011.