Asian Games Hockey Tournament
Spirited Pakistan face an uphill task against aggressive Malaysia today
By Muhammad Ali
GUANGZHOU: Spirited Pakistan will be facing an uphill task to clinch gold medal when they clash with giant-killers Malaysia in the Asian Games Hockey Tournament final at Aoti Hockey Center here on Thursday (today). Pakistan qualified for the final after outclassing defending champions South Korea in the semifinal on Tuesday.
Malaysia will play their first ever Asian Games final in 13 appearances ever since they made their debut in 1958, the year hockey was introduced in the quadrennial event. Pakistan’s forward line must fire against the aggressive and super-fit Malaysians who shocked favourites India with their dazzling and brilliant performance in the semifinal and showed their ‘ambition’ of taking gold home. Keeping in view their performance, Malaysia will not be a ‘piece of cake’ for Pakistan. Their pacy hit-and-run game can be an unsettling factor. Pakistan will also have work on their conversion in today’s game. Their penalty corner specialist Sohail Abbas has disappointed in the competition so far.
The Greenshirts, seeking redemption, last entered the Asiad final 20 years ago in Beijing when they won their seventh gold medal in the event, but a major title has eluded the former champions since the World Cup in 1994. Today Pakistan, once a dominant force in world hockey and winners of three Olympic titles, will also be carrying the heavy burden of an embarrassingly poor run in the last two major hockey events of the year.
The record four-time former world champions crashed to a humiliating last-place finish in the 2010 World Cup in New Delhi in March and then slumped to a disappointing sixth position in the Commonwealth Games at the same venue last month. Such poor results had prompted critics to predict ‘yet another tsunami of defeats’ in the Guangzhou Asian Games. But Pakistan proved their critics wrong with a superb display of hockey. On their way to final, the Greenshirts beat Hong Kong 12-0, beat Japan 8-2, lost to India 2-3, beat Bangladesh 6-1 and beat South Korea 4-3 on penalty strokes.
Pakistan are desperate to make amends after a disappointing year. Skipper Zeeshan Ashraf told reporters on Wednesday that Thursday’s game would be one of the most crucial for his team in recent times. “We need to win a big one to restore faith in our fans back home,” said Ashraf. “This is the time to do it, we can’t afford to slip up,” he added. Zeeshan said his team would be playing their best game against the Malaysians. “We are not going to take our opponents easy. They are playing good hockey. But my boys are fit and in form and one can expect a far better show against Malaysia,” he maintained.
Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) secretary general Mohammad Asif Bajwa is confident his team will deliver. “We need a collective effort in the final,” the former Olympian said. “I firmly believe our team can do it.” Bajwa said that his team were good enough to win titles at the continental level. “Our journey back to the top has to begin at the Asian level which is why all our efforts our aimed at getting the best out of our team in China.”
On the other hand, Malaysia, considered as underdogs, chase history in today’s encounter that will guarantee the winners a place in the London Olympics 2012. Malaysia entered the final after beating Singapore 3-0, drawing with South Korea 2-2, losing to Oman 2-12, beating China 4-2 and outclassing India 4-3. For Malaysia, hockey’s perennial under-achievers, it will be their maiden appearance in the title clash despite winning bronze medal six times.
“It’s great to be in the final, but having come so far, we need to go all the way,” said Malaysian coach Stephen van Huizen. “A direct entry to the Olympics will be a bonus.” In Thursday’s other matches, South Korea will clash with India for bronze medal, Japan will meet China for fifth and sixth positions match, Bangladesh face Oman for seventh and eighth positions match while Singapore clash with Hong Kong for ninth and tenth positions match.
