LAHORE
\nPakistan junior hockey team manager Hanif Khan is expecting the side to win the Junior Asia Cup, which starts in Oman on Tuesday.
\nClinching the tournament would also secure the national junior team to secure a spot in the World Cup and Hanif said it was well-prepared to do so. \u201cThe boys are well prepared for the Asia Cup after undergoing a rigorous training in the preparatory camp (that ended on Thursday) and they have the potential to qualify for the final and also to win it to reserve a place in the World Cup,\u201d the former Olympian said a day ahead of the team\u2019s departure for Oman on Thursday.
\n\u201cThe players have impr\u00acoved a lot during the training camp and now they are in the shape that is requ\u00acired for international matches,\u201d
\nHanif said the camp foc\u00acu\u00acsed mainly on the players\u2019 fitness while attacking play was also one of the one of the key areas for preparation.
\n\u201cThe main focus was on fitness as well as to improve the attacking game during the training camp and I believe our purpose has been achieved,\u201d he added.
\nThe Pakistan manager will have one of the members of his staff, Adnan Zakir, unavailable for the Asia Cup, with the coach having to visit London to attend his ailing son.
\n\u201cAdnan\u2019s role was brilliant in the training sessions and worked hard to bring a visible change in the attitude of the players to remain focused,\u201d said Hanif.
\nPakistan are placed in a tough Pool \u2018A\u2019, which comprises India, Japan, Thailand and Taiwan. Pool \u2018B\u2019 features South Korea, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan and hosts Oman.
\nPakistan kick off their campaign against Taiwan on Tuesday before taking on Thailand the next day and clashing with archrivals India on May 27. Their last pool match will be against Japan on May 29.
\nPakistan captain Faizan Janjua also expressed satisfaction over his team\u2019s preparation for the event. He said the guidance of Dutch coach Roelant Oltmans as consultant in the 15-day camp helped himself and his peers to get in shape.
\nOltmans will represent Pakistan as their head coach during the Junior Asia Cup.
\nSquad: Ali Raza, Mohammad Faizan Janjua (captain), Aqeel Ahmad, Arbaz Ahmad, Ihtesham Aslam, Mohammad Sufyan Khan, Arbaz Ayaz, Mohammad Murtaza Yaqoob, Arshad Liaquat, Ali Murtaza, Zakriya Hayat, Abdul Rahman, Abdul Qayyum Dogar, Abdul Hanan Shahid (vice-captain), Abdul Wahab, Basharat Ali, Bilal Akram.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LAHORE Pakistan junior hockey team manager Hanif Khan is expecting the side to win the Junior Asia Cup, which starts in Oman on Tuesday. Clinching the tournament would also secure the national junior team to secure a spot in the World Cup and Hanif said it was well-prepared to do so. \u201cThe boys are well […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":332250,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-332236","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n