Former champions Pakistan have reinforced their defence and midfield departments with the return of key players from injuries for the Men’s Junior Hockey World Cup (JWC), which begins tomorrow (Tuesday) at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
Pakistan’s head coach, Dutchman Roelant Oltmans, said the team has made four changes to the side that played in the Sultan of Johor Cup (SOJC) last month, with the return of defenders Aqeel Ahmed and Abdul Manan, which has strengthened the backline. The midfield is led by Ali Murtaza and Umer Mustafa.
Leading the Pakistan team will be forward Abdul Hanan Shahid.
“After the SOJC, the players had a couple of weeks off and then regrouped for training in Lahore. However, we were unfortunate not to be able to play more matches, and that may be lacking a bit in competitions,” said Oltman.
“But otherwise, I can say the team has improved.
“We know we are in a very tough Group D with New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Belgium. It won’t be easy at all to reach the quarterfinals. The European teams are very strong. The Netherlands is one of the favourite teams that I have read about.
“Besides that, we have seen New Zealand play in Johor Bahru during the recent SOJC. New Zealand has a strong side. We only managed to beat them by a one-goal margin,” added Oltman.
The Pakistanis appeared on the men’s Junior World Cup podium in each of the first five competitions played between 1979 and 1993. Winning the inaugural event and claiming one silver and three bronze medals. Their 11th finish at the Bhubaneswar 2021 competition was a historic low for the Junior Green Shirts.
Oltmans, who had coached Malaysia not so long ago, went on to say that Pakistan’s chances of advancing to the next stage of the JWC very much on several indicators.
“My ultimate goal is to qualify for the quarter-finals. But immediately, I am only looking at my first match, which is against the Netherlands. We need to excel here, and after that, we will focus on the next match. We will take one game at a time with our minds focussed to qualify for the quarterfinals,” said Oltman.
“A lot all depends on our daily efforts on the field. Are we really in good shape at the right moment? And if there is a chance, then we should go forward, and if not, then it’s the third or fourth position in the group for us,” said Oltmans bluntly.
Meanwhile, chief selector Asif Bajwa said: “This tournament holds immense importance as our junior side will pave the way forward for Pakistan.”
The complete squad: Ali Raza and Abdul Rafay (goalkeepers), Arbaz Ahmad, Sufyan Khan, Ghazanfar, Murtaza Yaqoob, Zikriya Hayat, Arshad Liaqat, Abdul Rehman, Hanan Shahid (Capt), Abuzar, Arbaz Ayaz, Abdul Rafay, Abdul Manan, M Ammad, Ahtisham, Basharat Ali, Aqeel Ahmed, Ali Murtaza, Umer Mustafa, and Abdul Qayyum.
