December 10, 2002	Tuesday	Shawwal 5,1423

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LAHORE, Dec 9: Twentyfive probables, out of a total of 30, attended the first day of the Pakistan Greens training camp which started at the National Hockey Stadium Monday.

The camp has been set up to finalise Pakistan Greens, comprising mostly of national team players, which will compete in the three-team NBP League contest, also involving Pakistan Juniors and Whites.

The contest starting from Dec 20 is being held to pick up best teams of Pakistan seniors, whites and juniors for future competitions.

The five players who have failed to report for camp are Waseem Ahmad, Kashif Jawwad, Sohail Abbas nd two brothers Imran Yousaf and Irfan Yousaf.

Team coach Shahnaz Sheikh stated that all 25 probables tested on the first day were fit for the game.

Explaining the salient features of his training programme, Shahnaz pointed out that it was based on no goal concessions in the three-team league.

The coach pointed out that each team would have to prove with its performance that it was the best side of the contest. And for that it must avoid conceding even a single goal in the competition.

Elaborating at length, Shahnaz said that to arrest the goal conceding trend of the team, he had chalked out a point system for the training.

During practice matches in the camp, if the attacking team exchanged blind passing in the 25 yards area or the defending team displayed wrong marking they would lose one point each.

On getting a penalty-corner and penalty-stroke the team would get one and two points, respectively.

While cashing in on the penalty-stroke a team would be awarded three more points and for a penalty-corner two more.

He hoped that with this point system the ability of the players would improve both in the defence and attacking areas.

The first session was held in the morning in which the foremost priority was on physical fitness and exercises. In the afternoon the boys also held practice matches and drilling sessions.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Whites training camp also started at the NHS’s outer ground after Eid break. Twenty-seven probables are attending that camp.

The Pakistan women training camp which has been in progess since Nov 17 also resumed its session at the same venue after Eid holidays.

The camp has been set up to to finalise a team for the next Asia Cup to be held in January in Singapore.