May 22, 2007	Tuesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 05, 1428

KARACHI, May 21: Pakistan junior hockey team’s manager on Monday admitted that full-back Atiqur Rahman is an over-aged player and has been involved in breach of code of conduct but remained unsure about his future in the team.

Jahangir Butt conceded that full-back had been involved in indiscipline in the past and even during the under-18 camp for March’s tour to Kenya and Egypt.

The manager admitted that Atiq had been forming groups among the players and creating disturbances at practice sessions of the national training camp in Faisalabad for the two tours.

“Yes Atiq had been involved in indiscipline in the past too. I have come to know that such incidents involving the full-back had been reported by the previous team officials who accompanied the squad to Singapore last year. But at the moment, I can’t say for sure whether he will be considered for selection or not,” Jahangir told Dawn.

The Olympian said there were reports that Atiq had been instrumental in forming groups — a fact that became more evident when he was found ordering a fellow trainee at Faisalabad camp to pass on the ball to a particular player of his choice.

“When I saw this, I immediately told Atiq that this sort of attitude will not be tolerated and he will be booted out even if he is a star play. As for the tours of Kenya and Egypt, no incident occurred and there was no controversy. I have already submitted my tour report to Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF).”

However, Jahangir didn’t elaborate why Atiq was considered when he was found guilty of groupings and displayed player-power by dictating other trainees.

Ironically, Jahangir admitted that Atiq might be over-aged but at the same time he remarked a player can’t be axed from the squad because of that reason.

“The whole world knows that we have over-aged players. But it is impossible for us to axe any player on being over-aged without providing a definite proof. However, we can axe an over-aged player on poor performance,” said the manager.

Asked to comment on Atiq’s future, the official said he might be shown the door on the basis of indiscipline if proper replacement was available.

While Jahangir was cautious in divulging what would be future of over-aged and troublesome players, sources said Atiq along with three other over-aged players — Shafqat Rasool, Amir Shahzad, and Atif Yaqoob — might be ousted from the squad.

The quartet is definitely over-aged since they have been appearing in junior national training camps for the last five or six years. With the exception of Atiq who was first selected for national camp in 2002, team captain Shafqat, Amir and Atif all have been participating in Pakistan junior camps since 2001.

If one even considers the quartet was 15 years of age when they first appeared in the national camp in 2001 or 2002, they will surely be 20 or 21 years old now.

Nevertheless, although it is not impossible for an experienced Olympian such as Jahangir to judge the players’ age by facial scrutiny, the four players were still invited for the under-18 camp.