June 14, 2002	Friday	Rabi-us-Sani 2, 1423

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LAHORE, June 13: Pakistan should raise a new-look squad hockey for the 2004 Athens Olympics, replacing the ageing players, team manager said Wednesday night.

“As the majority of players will have past their prime after the September’s Asian Games, promising youngsters from the junior sides should be inducted soon after the Asiad,” Col Zafar Ali Khan (retd) said while speaking at Meet-the-Press.

Zafar said although he was ready to prepare the team for the Olympics, he was given the charge only for this year’s three major competitions to be organized within three months from July 12 to Oct 15.

Pakistan are to tour Spain from July 12 before appearing at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester from July 25. The team will then take part in Champions Trophy in Germany from Aug 31 to Sept 7. Asian Games in Pusan, South Korea, from Sept 30 to Oct 15 will be the last event.

The manager said he had retained the side which gave a dismal show at Kuala Lumpur World Cup because it was the best availble.

However, veterans like Naveed Alam, Kamran Ashraf, Babar Abdullah had been recalled for training camp as they had performed better in the national championship.

But their inclusion in the team would depend on physical fitness, the manager said.

Zafar did not claim that weakness of the players had had been removed but added he was satisfied with the overall progress during the training camp.

He addmitted that the three upcoming tournaments would have different teams for which separate strategy would be made. He predicted a victory either at the Commonwealth Games or the Asian Games.