Heuvel emphasises on youth for Asian Games

KARACHI: Pakistan hockey coach Michel van den Heuvel will rely on youngsters to improve Pakistan’s performance at the 2010 Asian Games instead of seniors.

A 21-member Pakistan squad finished a three-week training tour in Holland and will be returning today after winning three out of five matches on the tour.

“It’s a misconception that I am depending on the senior players in the team,” Heuvel told The Express Tribune. “I would say I have a very balanced young team that has a couple of older players who can help the side with their experience.”

Heuvel, who coached the Dutch team in the 2010 hockey World Cup, is terming next month’s Commonwealth Games as training for the team before competing in the Asian Games and the 2012 Olympic qualifiers.

“I have to test how the team will grow in the competition and it is only then I will be able to decide what changes I have to make in my strategy as a coach,” said Heuvel.

According to the coach, following the tour, the team’s strongest point in the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games will be their ability to convert a defensive game into attacking play.

“The natural style of Pakistan hockey is very aggressive, so I will not try to change that.”

The Dutch will arrive in Pakistan on September 26 for pre-Commonwealth Games training session and will accompany the team to New Delhi three days later. His biggest challenge in training Pakistan team was to get the required fitness levels among the players and said that there was ample talent as far as the technique and skills were concerned but the players were physically unfit when he started coaching them in June.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 22^nd, 2010.