The News International

By Khalid Hussain

KARACHI: Pakistan will resume their long-term training exercise for next August?s Olympic Games in Athens when the national team probables will begin preparatory sessions here at the Defence Hockey Stadium from today (Friday).


Though the national training camp will be held with an aim at two short term targets - the upcoming triangular series involving Malaysia and next month?s Sultan Azlan Shah Cup - the sights of the camp management will be set on the Athens Olympiad.

Pakistan coach Tahir Zaman, who will be at the helm of the training camp in the absence of new head coach Roelant Oltmans of Holland who arrives here on December 8, said that the short listing process for the selection of national Olympic squad will begin with the camp sessions today.

A total of 28 players have been asked to attend the camp that will continue till early next month.

Tahir, who was due to reach Karachi late on Thursday night, said that the triangular series that will pit his team in front of Malaysia and Pakistan Juniors will serve as a good warm-up ahead of the 2003 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup to be played in Kuala Lumpur from January 8 to 18.

The greenshirts will be defending their title in Azlan Shah Cup which will also feature world champions Germany and Pakistan?s arch-rivals India apart from a few other teams.

Before the Azlan Shah Cup, Pakistan will compete against visiting Malaysia and the national junior team in the series that will be played from December 11 to 14 here on a brand new turf of the Hockey Club of Pakistan Stadium.

The Malaysians will arrive in Karachi on December for a brief stay on their way to Madrid where they are to play test matches against Spain. They will play matches against both Pakistan senior and junior teams before flying for Madrid on December 14.

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