Haridev Pushparaj -
Muscat, Feb 20 -
The Oman hockey team has had a baptism with fire in the Oman triangular series and for sure they have been richer by the experience, if not for nothing.
The Oman team played four matches, two each against Pakistan and Japan, finishing with one draw and three defeats.
Coach Tahir Zaman feels it has been an enriching experience for him and the players and the support staff.
“It has been a very good experience for me and the players competing in a tournament where you have big teams like Pakistan and Japan,’’ he added.
Zaman is of the opinion that the Omani players have shown tremendous fighting spirit and positive attitude throughout the tournament.
“We have just had three to three and a half weeks of training and I’m impressed with the way the boys are shaping up. It is very encouraging to see them willing to fight hard and trying to deliver their 100 per cent every time they step on the field,’’ Zaman said.
However, at the same time, the coach felt the development process would take time to bear fruit.
“It will naturally take time for us to get to a good level. But I could clearly see glimpses of improvement in our overall game and that is quite heartening.’’
Asked to elaborate on the improvement that he feels the team has made, Zaman pointed at the style of hockey they were playing.
“If you notice throughout all our matches, we have been playing an attacking brand of hockey and not even once have been played defensively,’’ he added.
“I felt this was the reason we were able to hold Pakistan 4-4 in our third match. After being 3-0 down in the first period, then to come back and lead 4-3, it was made possible because of the attacking style of hockey we have been playing,’’ Zaman, a member of the 1994 World Cup winning Pakistan team, said.
Zaman also felt the big takeaway for the Oman players has been the confidence gained of playing against teams like Pakistan and Japan.
“I remember initially the players would tell me they did not feel very confident while facing big teams like Pakistan and India. But, now after competing against Pakistan and after a high-scoring drawn game, it has made them very confident.’’
“They want to play a free-flowing style of hockey. Earlier, they would feel that if they concede a goal they would lose momentum, but this tournament has seen them shed those fears,’’ Zaman revealed.
As far as the problem areas are concerned, Zaman felt the main focus would be on physical fitness.
“We want to work on the fitness of the players mainly. That is an area that requires attention and we are working towards that. We will give players a four-day break, they will go home and study some videos and they will report back for training on February 25th,’’ he added.
Zaman said he will work with the boys on finishing and some defensive tackling dynamics as well. “Our finishing skills need to improve, so that is an area as well. We have to work on the defence in terms of rational tackling and see to it that we are more focused and not emotional,’’ he added.
Discipline is another aspect that Zaman feels the team needs to pay attention to.
“We have to bring down the yellow and green cards. When we are playing against teams like Pakistan and Japan, we cannot afford to have less players on the field. We have to be at full strength,’’ he added.
ASIAN GAMES QUALIFIERS BECKON
With less than two weeks to go for the all-important Asian Games Qualifiers beginning on March 8th, coach Zaman remains positive.
“I am quite positive about the Qualifiers. I am very sure it will be a huge learning curve for our players,’’ he added.
Zaman said that roughly around 23-24 players would report for training for the Asian Games Qualifiers.
“We will start practical as well as centralised training sessions for the Asian Games qualifiers from Feb 25th,’’ he added.
OHA CHAIRMAN PLEASED
The Oman Hockey Association (OHA) chairman Talib al Wahaibi stated he was pleased and happy about the performance of the team.
“I think the coach wanted to get a sense of the pool of players required for the Asian Games Qualifiers and we have done quite well. Oman is gradually improving and I am happy with the achievements of the players,’’ he added.
Chairman Talib was also hopeful about Oman’s prospects for the Asian Games Qualifiers.
“Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope we qualify for the Asian Games in Jakarta,’’ he concluded.
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