Saturday 20 / April / 2024
Muscat: With star-studded Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) team of Pakistan arriving, Oman team are hoping to gain in experience in a three-match series ahead of their participation in the FIH Hockey World League (HWL) Round 2 competition.
The series, which began with the first match at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex on Saturday, provides the Sultanate squad and their Indian coach K.K. Poonacha a golden opportunity to test their mettle and to assess their strengths and weaknesses ahead of their trip to Bangladesh for the FIH HWL Round 2 in March.
The WAPDA team, whose visit is fully sponsored by Muscat Beach Trading, comprises both the present and past senior Pakistani stars including, current captain Fareed Ahmad and former skipper Waseem Ahmed.
Oman Hockey Association (OHA) Chairman Talib Khamis Al Wahaibi said the three matches will provide the national team a great learning experience.
Addressing the media at the association headquarters on Saturday, the OHA chief said: “We would like to thank WAPDA team for accepting our invitation and coming here to play the three matches without national team. We would also like to thank the Muscat Beach Trading company for sponsoring WAPDA team’s visit to the Sultanate.
“The WAPDA team have some of the stalwarts of Pakistan hockey, including the current national team skipper Fareed Ahmed and former skipper Waseem Ahmed. There are also six senior national and five junior national players.”
“So they are a strong side. We are expecting very interesting and tough games. That’s the reason we have arranged for this series, to give some tough competition for our players so that they learn from these outings and improve their game,” he added.
To use all players
Oman coach Poonacha, meanwhile, revealed his intention to try out all 32 probables who are currently attending the domestic camp during the three matches.
“All 32 players who are attending the ongoing camp will get an opportunity to play their in these matches. We would like to see how the players perform in these matches, which will help the players in their learning process,” he said.
While thanking the OHA for arranging the matches with a strong team like WAPDA, Poonacha said: “I have no doubt the boys will enjoy playing against such strong players from Pakistan and learn from the experience of playing against the big players.”
“Based on their performances in the ongoing camp and these three matches, we will be pruning the squad to 22,” he informed.
Speaking on the occasion both Fareed Ahmad and Waseem Ahmad expressed delight in visiting Oman and playing the matches against the Sultanate squad.
Fareed Ahmed, who has previously played in Malaysian and the Dutch league and is set to turn up for Braxgata in the Belgian league in the new season, said: “We are happy to be here and we are looking forward to playing the matches against Oman team.”
Waseem Ahmed, who had played a record 410 matches for Pakistan and represented the country in three Olympics, four World Championships and 12 Champions League tournaments, said: “I would like to thank OHA for inviting us. I would also like to thank the sponsors and the Pakistani community for showing interest and making this tour happen.”
Waseem, who is currently plying his trade both as a player and a coach in Australia helping out teams like Victorian state’s senior and youth squads, added: “The trips and series like these will always benefit the local sides who are looking for the experience of playing tough matches. Hopefully, out trip will contribute Oman hockey in their development process. We sincerely hope all the efforts put in by the OHA and the sponsors as well as the expat community will lead to the betterment of Oman hockey.”
Encouraged by OHA
WAPDA team coach Mirza Waheed Baig while thanking OHA for inviting the team also thanked Pakistan Hockey Federation, WAPDA and their sports board for giving the necessary permission to travel to the Sultanate.
He also revealed that team manager Saghir Ahmed, who is also a WAPDA sports board official, will be attending the third and final match of the series on Wednesday.
Chief organisers of the series Syed Aftab Gilani and Aslam Nawab also spoke on the occasion.
Aftab Gilani, who is also the Director of Pakistan Social Club, said: “With Muscat Beach Trading we had organised a similar match between Oman national team and Pakistan International Airlines squad in August 2016. This time we were encouraged by the meeting OHA had with the expat organisations and hockey lovers, during which OHA chief expressed his desire to involve expats in Oman hockey development.
“We are happy to arrange this series in a short notice. We are doubly delighted to have these Pakistani stars coming here and playing matches against Oman team,” he added.
WAPDA one up
Later in the evening, Poonacha's boys gave a good account of themselves in the first match against WAPDA played at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex.
The match though ended 1-0 in favour of WAPDA, the Omanis showed good control while occasionally dominating the visitors. For the record, Tasawar Abbas scored the match winner in the 67th minute.
The second match will be played at the same venue from 7 pm on Monday while the series will conclude on Wednesday.
The FIH Hockey World League Round 2 competition will take place in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka from March 4 to 12.
In Dhaka, a total of eight teams will be vying for two direct places into the semifinals. Besides Oman and hosts Bangladesh, the other teams that will be in action are Canada, Egypt, China, Fiji, Ghana and Sri Lanka.
