Hockey on road to recovery: Imran

World Cup qualification on top of captain’s agenda in 2013.

KARACHI: Pakistan hockey captain Mohammad Imran claimed that the team’s recent performances have enabled them to return among the top international sides of the sport.

According to Imran, securing three medals and climbing three spots to fifth position in the world rankings within a couple of months are a clear indication of the team’s revival.

The greenshirts won bronze in the Super Series Hockey in November 2012 before clinching third place in the Champions Trophy — their first medal in the tournament in eight years. They then won the Asian Champions Trophy to end the year on a high note.

The captain declared that the team wants to build up on their current form and has vowed to make winning a habit against the hockey powerhouses – Australia, Germany and Holland – in 2013 in which Pakistan is expected to play around 40 international fixtures.

“It’s not an easy task and we’ll have to work a lot for it,” Imran told The Express Tribune while speaking on the team’s targets in the year, which includes the World Cup 2014 in the Netherlands.



“The federation’s main goal is the World Cup so this year is going to be crucial for us. We’ll have to play and win against top teams to move into the next year with confidence. This year is also important because we’ll experiment with youngsters in order to extend our pool of players.”

Meanwhile, the experienced full-back said direct qualification to the World Cup was another target of the year.

“We’ll have to win the Asia Cup in August for direct qualification and we are aiming for it to avoid qualifying tournaments.

“We are fortunate to have coaches Akhtar Rasool and Hanif Khan as we are learning a lot from them.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 2^nd, 2013.