KARACHI: Pakistan's action-starved hockey players have been suddenly catered with a couple of options ahead of their World Cup qualifying rounds to be held later this year.
Sources told Arab News on Monday that Pakistan's hockey officials are mulling over two possible international assignments for the hockey team in the lead up to the World Cup qualifiers. Pakistan can feature in a proposed triangular contest in Canada this fall involving old rivals India and the hosts. They are also considering the option of sending the national team to Europe during September-October to play a series of test matches against teams like Belgium, Ireland and Poland ahead of the World Cup qualifying event.
Sources said that the national team management and top Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) officials are more interested in lining up around six to eight competitive matches in Europe than to send the team to Canada for a brief tri-series.
The main reason why the Pakistan hockey think-tank is putting its weight behind the idea of having a European tour this fall is that the Green shirts are likely to play their World Cup qualifying rounds in Europe this November.
Though the International Hockey Federation (FIH) is yet to announce the details of the three qualifying events to be held later this year, it is expected that Pakistan will be named among the top seeds for the first qualifiers to be held in Lille, France from Oct. 31 to Nov. 8.
Pakistan are currently ranked sixth in the world and are likely to be among the best-ranked teams featuring in the World Cup qualifiers this year.
The winners of all the three qualifying events will make the cut for the 12-nation World Cup 2010 to be played in New Delhi from Feb. 28 to Mar. 13.
Pakistan, record four-time world champions, are desperate to earn a World Cup berth and avoid the ignominy of missing the quadrennial spectacle for the first time in its history.
PHF officials have been all summer to line up a series of warm-up games for their team ahead of the World Cup qualifiers but their efforts have yielded little or no success.
They tried to tie up test matches against world champions Germany, Netherlands and Spain but the European powerhouses gave them the thumbs down. All leading European teams are currently busy preparing for the continental championship to be held in Amsterdam later this summer. The event will also serve as the qualifying event for the World Cup.
The PHF has changed its strategy and is now planning to line up games against lower-ranked European teams like Belgium, Ireland and Poland. Sources said that the PHF officials are hopeful of getting a positive response from these nations and is expecting to line up ample matches for the national team in Europe.
The idea is to help the players switch into tournament mode ahead of the qualifying rounds. A tour of Europe will also enable the players to adapt to cold conditions in Europe.
