KARACHI, 6 August 2003 — Pakistan want to sign a foreign coach to help the senior men’s hockey team prepare for next year’s Olympics in Athens.
“We are negotiating with three or four countries and by September we should know whether we will have a foreign coach or not,” Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) secretary Brigadier Musaratullah told Reuters yesterday.
Sources say that Pakistan are negotiating with coaches from Germany, Australia and Spain. Pakistan, once a powerhouse in world hockey, have not won Olympic gold since 1984 and their last major title was the 1994 World Cup.
Former Olympian Abdul Rasheed Jr was appointed as team manager last month, replacing Shahnaz Shiekh who resigned after a disappointing tour of Australia.
“We have experimented with a foreign coach in the past and it was not a bad experience,” Musarat said.
The PHF official said that the foreign coach would be required to work with the team, give input to the players and also help organize a modern hockey structure in Pakistan.
