KARACHI:
Salman Akbar’s hopes of making an international comeback were short-lived.
He was named in the preliminary hockey squad for the Olympics but was stunned to find out he did not make the cut for the final squad. Akbar has not been part of the national squad since the home series against China last December but the Asian Games gold medallist was surprisingly named in the preliminary squad following the team’s tour of Europe. Coach Khwaja Junaid said that Akbar was in good form as the goal-keeper rushed to join the Abbottabad camp only to find his name missing from the squad list that was announced on Sunday.
“I don’t know what happened all of a sudden,” a dejected Akbar told The Express Tribune. “I spoke to the PHF before flying in from the Netherlands. They confirmed my selection but it has now ended in disappointment. My Olympics accreditation process was also underway. I never had any disciplinary issues with the PHF as my contract with Dutch league was also made with the federation’s prior permission.
“It is very surprising. I even attended the camp from the first day and nobody said anything about my weakness.”
Junaid, meanwhile, said that Akbar failed to meet the selection requirements that also included recent past performance.
“I admitted my form in the Champions Trophy [in December] was not good but after that, I managed to recover. My performance in the Dutch league was good and that is why I was recalled by the PHF.”
Interestingly, the selectors relied on young goal-keepers Imran Shah and Imran Butt despite the chief selector expressing dissatisfaction over their show after the Azlan Shah Cup debacle.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 3rd, 2012.
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If an athlete is not terribly old & unfit to play there should not be a blind favoritism for the younger & less experienced without really testing both athletes on the field with open mind and a check-list of "who is really" responding correctly to the test and how frequently. Having all the looks of a youth is not enough.I have seen and can prove an experienced and fit athlete can beat his ten year younger opponent in any game with a ratio of 7 out of 10 times. That possibility is good enough, that's what is counted, right? The possibility of winning!