Jamali, Bajwa attend 100 years of Olympic Hockey ceremony: Pakistan dreams of gold medal
Source: APP August 10, 2008 BEIJING - Not looking back at their past, Pakistan hockey team is dreaming for a gold medal in the Beijing Olympic Hockey Tournament.
"We are going to set the trend for Olympic glory in the game against Great Britain. Team is united, motivated and eager to reach the top," Coach Naveed Ahmed said here Saturday.
"The 12-nation event opens on Monday, the sixth finished in Athens, Pakistan will take on Great Britain in the pool "B" match.
"We are not creating the hype but Pakistan team has the ability and it's my conviction to produce good results with boys being fully motivated to deliver the best," he stated.
Olympian Naveed said the team not bothered with the presence of reigning Olympic Champion Australia and formidable Netherlands in their pool.
"Pakistan team is well equipped and ready to meet all challenges in Beijing Olympics Hockey," he maintained and added "we have beaten them in the past and are capable to repeat it here."
Olympian Naveed Alam, who took the team coaching seven months ago, said he is expecting 60-40 from forward line and penalty corner specialists. "We got experienced forward line in Rehan Butt, Shakeel Abbasi with talented players like Waqas Sharif, Waqas Akbar and Abbas Haider under the wings". He negated the impressions about Pakistan's weak defence which was biggest worry for the team management.
"No its not. Goalie Salman Akbar, Nasir Ahmed, Muhammad Imran, Warsi are well experienced with young Muhammad Zubair in the back-up," he maintained. He believed that with Muhammad Saqlain and Adnan Maqsood in the mid-field, make Pakistan a reasonable side in the defence area. However its game and mistakes can be committed, he pointed out.
Naveed Alam said team management headed by Khawaja Zakauddin is working on each member of the team mentally and psychologically to achieve theirs objectives.
Meanwhile Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) delegation attended a special ceremony on Saturday conducted here by International Hockey Federation (FIH) to mark the 100 years of Hockey in Olympics. It was befitting occasion for the sport as the FIH celebrated the occasion in style one day after a glittering and dazzling opening ceremony of Beijing Olympics 2008 held at National Stadium - the Bird's Nest on Friday evening.
PHF Chief Mir Zafarullah Jamali, Secretary Olympian Asif Bajwa and Chief Selector Islahuddin Siddiqui were present at the well attended ceremony held at a local hotel.
FIH President Els Van Breda Viresmen and Secretary Peter Kohan presided over the ceremony.
Field hockey completed hundred years in Olympic Games after it was inducted in the games in 1908 London Olympics after it missed three opening editions of Olympics launched in Olympia Greece in 1896.
Speaking on the occasion, Els Breda called for adopting new vision and scientific methods for making the sport attractive, entertaining and interesting.
"We must bring new vision, changes and scientific approach for the betterment and development of hockey around the world," she said on the occasion.
She said FIH was working for spreading the game in the countries where it was not popular.
FIH Chief met PHF Mir Zafarullah Jamali and Secretary Asif Bajwa and discussed with them game in Pakistan.
Zafarullah Jamali informed Els Breda about the steps being taken by PHF to revive the hockey at the grass-root level and increase the number of players at the lower to discover new talent.
Around 150 guests including the officials of various hockey bodies from across the world attended the ceremony.
Former Premier and PHF Chief Zafarullah Jamali is here as the Member of appeal of jury for the Beijing Olympics Hockey event.