KARACHI/SYDNEY, 15 September 2004 — Pakistan national hockey selector Hassan Sardar said that drastic changes while rebuilding their side for the 2006 World Cup in Germany should be avoid amid news from Australia that it would boycott the six-nation hockey tournament in Pakistan in December unless organizers respond to concerns about possible terrorist attacks.
Hockey Australia chief executive Linden Adamson said he was growing increasingly alarmed about security at the Champions Trophy tournament in light of a recent upsurge in terrorist threats against Australia. He notably cited a suicide bombing against Australia’s embassy in Jakarta last week and unconfirmed reports yesterday that militants in Iraq had kidnapped two Australian workers and were threatening to execute them.
“These acts clearly point to the fact that Australia is the target of extremists,” Adamson said. “We must be doubly certain that we are taking athletes and support staff into areas that are safe. If it’s not safe, we won’t go. It’s as simple as that,” he said.
Adamson sent a request to tournament organizers in Lahore at the start of the month seeking further details about security arrangements but said yesterday that he had still not received a response. “If that information is not forthcoming, there is no way Australia will take part,” he said.
Legendary striker Sardar, meanwhile, threw his weight behind Dutch coach Roelants Oltmans, under fire after Pakistan’s failure to win a medal at the Olympic Games in Athens. “We should set our sights on the World Cup without being hasty,” the former Olympian said. “What our team and the coaches need is continuity.”
Hassan said that his vote as far as the team management is concerned is for Oltmans to continue till the World Cup to be held in the German city of Munchengladbach two years from now.
“He (Oltmans) just had nine months to prepare the team for the Olympics so to solely blame him for our failure to win a medal in Athens would be unjustified. As far as I am concerned, the team is showing improvement under him and he should be asked to continue till the World Cup.”
Hassan believes that a coach should be given at least two years to show any worthwhile results. “Our next major target should be the World Cup and we should plan accordingly.”
