The 18th edition of the sporting extravaganza, the Commonwealth Games, opens in a few days at the picturesque Olympic city of Melbourne, for which the selected contingent has already reached Australia.
Pakistan's main interest, as in the previous engagements, will centre on hockey, boxing, weightlifting, shooting and if the claims of the trainers are to be trusted the doubles contest in squash.
Any conjecture about the country's chances of striking old or silver in any of the above-mentioned disciplines will be risky considering the lack of facilities to the chosen members of the squad and the higher echelons of competitions reached by the 71 participating nations but if the managerial assessments are to be taken as, more less correct, then Pakistan's efforts in the five items may not go awry.
One does hope that the boxing officialdom may have made the necessary preparations and training, at least in the higher weights, for honours of any hue in the scheduled fisticuffs. The boxers are reportedly in good shape and are ready to measure strength with the best of the former British colonies, having gained independence long ago. The coach and manager of the boxing quintet feel that Mehrullah, Asghar Ali Shah, Nauman Karim, Mohammad Nisar and Abid Ali will confidently display their brawny capabilities at the Melbourne ring.
The country's boxing chief, Professor Anwar Chowdhry, feels that more pugilists should have been sent for they knew how to tackle their foreign rivals. Optimism has also been voiced by the officials, having proceeded Down Under with the weightlifters. The lifters, however, complain about lack of foreign exposure, which was necessary for such an important competition.
There may by good prospects for shooters Irshad Ali and Mehwish Maqsood Khan, who may grab a medal or two. Irshad had returned from the last edition at Manchester in 2002 with a bronze but this time he has enhanced experience which may have improved him a lot.
Amir Attar Khan, whose strokes have been honed by none other than the legendary Jansher Khan, and Khayal Khan are supposed to combine well in the energy-sapping game of squash and are ready to give a tough time to any pair in the doubles. The Secretary of the squash organisation was not much hopeful of the victory of Mansoor Zaman and Shahid Zaman in view of the rise in stature of the Malaysian stroke-makers and the methodical training given to the English and Australian racket-wielders.
After the recently-concluded six-match series the hockey officials, as also the technocrats, have said with confidence that the selected lot has the required measure of enterprise and wherewithal to alter the position of any international match. If the matches against India are to be taken as a guide then the inputs of the players in the Pakistani leg of the skirmishes will be questioned. Both the middlers and the raiders had become ponderous.
Pakistan takes on India in the first match of the hockey programme on March 18 at the impeccable surface of Melbourne, a centre of cricket with the biggest ground in the world and tennis, where the curtain fell on the Australian Open two months ago. The coach Asif Bajwa and captain Saqlain feel that Pakistani players are in high spirits after the series against India. They had noted the grey areas during the exchanges with India and have tried to remove them in the camp drills.
If the results of the Indo-Pakistan series, the standing in the Sahara champions Trophy and the surprising victory over the sleeveless, yellow-shirted Australians in Rabobank Trophy at Amsterdam are to be taken as form guide this country may this time top its pool to avoid a clash with the home pack, which by its vibrant and vivacious approach is again be top seeded.
During the last competition at England's city of Manchester Pakistan were given a body blow by New Zealand who gave little chance to the South Asian squad to settle down and left the field after the final hooter with a whopping score-line of 7-1.
But that was four years ago. In the Azlan Shah last June the challenge of the black-shirted New Zealanders was quelled in a fast-paced, welt-contested match which gained Pakistan the bronze. With more sharpness in movements, laced with a good bit of grit and fortitude in the rear Pakistan tamed their rivals in the playoff for a third slot.
In the year-end Champions Trophy at Chennai Pakistan finished a step ahead of India to stay in the elitist group of hockey nations by virtue of the last duel against their arch-rivals. The win proved the consistency and the forthright manner in which Pakistan used the fundamentals of the game to bring down their subcontinental opponent. The six-match series may mirror their ascendancy, yet any prognostication for the matches on an alien setting and surface should by avoided as upsets are the order of any sporting duel.
Though the Pakistani officials consider the needle tie against India an easy one the officials of the neighbouring country think it will be tough going on the inaugural day of the tournament.
Australia in the other pool have been seen to be speedy and fluent, raiding the rivals' zone with variegated designs.
Their defence and middle lines also keep up the tempo upto the end with determination. They are Olympic gold medalist and succeeded in ascending the podium as winners of the tough Champions Trophy.
Pakistan had upset the Australian calculations at the Rabobank test of strength last August in Holland but the experts opine that was a stunning upset. Perhaps a second tilt in the scales will be unlikely, considering that the matches are to be staged on the Aussies' own happy hunting ground with a big crowd support.
Any way if Pakistan blends every aspect of combative hockey or what the management calls 'attacking game' they may finish among the medal winners.
The lethargy in the second stanza has to be eliminated. Besides, the penalty corner drives have to be made with the needed force and panache, even if the shape of the lower portion of the stick has been altered. One hopes that Shakeel Abbasi and Rehan Butt, two key and sharp-shooting forwards, get over their injuries and are ready to put in the best fare for the country.
There are also entries in athletics, swimming, badminton, cycling and gymnastics but participation in those events is only a formality. Perhaps exposure to the national competitors may help them in later foreign meets. The 18th edition of the sporting extravaganza, the Commonwealth Games, opens in a few days at the picturesque Olympic city of Melbourne, for which the selected contingent has already reached Australia.
Pakistan's main interest, as in the previous engagements, will centre on hockey, boxing, weightlifting, shooting and if the claims of the trainers are to be trusted the doubles contest in squash.
Any conjecture about the country's chances of striking old or silver in any of the above-mentioned disciplines will be risky considering the lack of facilities to the chosen members of the squad and the higher echelons of competitions reached by the 71 participating nations but if the managerial assessments are to be taken as, more less correct, then Pakistan's efforts in the five items may not go awry.
One does hope that the boxing officialdom may have made the necessary preparations and training, at least in the higher weights, for honours of any hue in the scheduled fisticuffs. The boxers are reportedly in good shape and are ready to measure strength with the best of the former British colonies, having gained independence long ago.
The coach and manager of the boxing quintet feel that Mehrullah, Asghar Ali Shah, Nauman Karim, Mohammad Nisar and Abid Ali will confidently display their brawny capabilities at the Melbourne ring.
The country's boxing chief, Professor Anwar Chowdhry, feels that more pugilists should have been sent for they knew how to tackle their foreign rivals. Optimism has also been voiced by the officials, having proceeded Down Under with the weightlifters. The lifters, however, complain about lack of foreign exposure, which was necessary for such an important competition.
There may by good prospects for shooters Irshad Ali and Mehwish Maqsood Khan, who may grab a medal or two. Irshad had returned from the last edition at Manchester in 2002 with a bronze but this time he has enhanced experience which may have improved him a lot.
Amir Attar Khan, whose strokes have been honed by none other than the legendary Jansher Khan, and Khayal Khan are supposed to combine well in the energy-sapping game of squash and are ready to give a tough time to any pair in the doubles. The Secretary of the squash organisation was not much hopeful of the victory of Mansoor Zaman and Shahid Zaman in view of the rise in stature of the Malaysian stroke-makers and the methodical training given to the English and Australian racket-wielders.
After the recently-concluded six-match series the hockey officials, as also the technocrats, have said with confidence that the selected lot has the required measure of enterprise and wherewithal to alter the position of any international match. If the matches against India are to be taken as a guide then the inputs of the players in the Pakistani leg of the skirmishes will be questioned. Both the middlers and the raiders had become ponderous.
Pakistan takes on India in the first match of the hockey programme on March 18 at the impeccable surface of Melbourne, a centre of cricket with the biggest ground in the world and tennis, where the curtain fell on the Australian Open two months ago. The coach Asif Bajwa and captain Saqlain feel that Pakistani players are in high spirits after the series against India. They had noted the grey areas during the exchanges with India and have tried to remove them in the camp drills.
If the results of the Indo-Pakistan series, the standing in the Sahara champions Trophy and the surprising victory over the sleeveless, yellow-shirted Australians in Rabobank Trophy at Amsterdam are to be taken as form guide this country may this time top its pool to avoid a clash with the home pack, which by its vibrant and vivacious approach is again be top seeded.
During the last competition at England's city of Manchester Pakistan were given a body blow by New Zealand who gave little chance to the South Asian squad to settle down and left the field after the final hooter with a whopping score-line of 7-1. But that was four years ago. In the Azlan Shah last June the challenge of the black-shirted New Zealanders was quelled in a fast-paced, welt-contested match which gained Pakistan the bronze.
With more sharpness in movements, laced with a good bit of grit and fortitude in the rear Pakistan tamed their rivals in the playoff for a third slot. In the year-end Champions Trophy at Chennai Pakistan finished a step ahead of India to stay in the elitist group of hockey nations by virtue of the last duel against their arch-rivals.
The win proved the consistency and the forthright manner in which Pakistan used the fundamentals of the game to bring down their subcontinental opponent. The six-match series may mirror their ascendancy, yet any prognostication for the matches on an alien setting and surface should by avoided as upsets are the order of any sporting duel.
Though the Pakistani officials consider the needle tie against India an easy one the officials of the neighbouring country think it will be tough going on the inaugural day of the tournament.
Australia in the other pool have been seen to be speedy and fluent, raiding the rivals' zone with variegated designs.
Their defence and middle lines also keep up the tempo upto the end with determination. They are Olympic gold medalist and succeeded in ascending the podium as winners of the tough Champions Trophy.
Pakistan had upset the Australian calculations at the Rabobank test of strength last August in Holland but the experts opine that was a stunning upset. Perhaps a second tilt in the scales will be unlikely, considering that the matches are to be staged on the Aussies' own happy hunting ground with a big crowd support.
Any way if Pakistan blends every aspect of combative hockey or what the management calls 'attacking game' they may finish among the medal winners.
The lethargy in the second stanza has to be eliminated. Besides, the penalty corner drives have to be made with the needed force and panache, even if the shape of the lower portion of the stick has been altered.
One hopes that Shakeel Abbasi and Rehan Butt, two key and sharp-shooting forwards, get over their injuries and are ready to put in the best fare for the country.
There are also entries in athletics, swimming, badminton, cycling and gymnastics but participation in those events is only a formality. Perhaps exposure to the national competitors may help them in later foreign meets.
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