March 27, 2008	Thursday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 18, 1429

LAHORE, March 26: While emphasising that Beijing Olympics is his prime target, Pakistan hockey head coach Khawaja Zakauddin said on Wednesday that his team should have clinched the recent five-match series against China by a 4-1 margin instead of 3-2.

“Though we won the series 3-2, it should have been 4-1. But the victory is important before a hectic schedule ahead. We also came to know about our weaknesses while playing against an emerging Chinese team,” Zakauddin told Dawn after the Pakistan squad reached Lahore from China the other day.

On the two losses in the series, Zakauddin blamed poor umpiring and the changes that the tourists made in the final game for testing other players in the squad. “The umpires from China supervised most of the matches and particularly in the fifth game they deliberately gave decisions against us,” he claimed, adding he did not lodge any official protest against the umpiring since it was a friendly series to assess the players’ strength.

“Matches in Azlan Shah Cup and the Europe tour, where they are to play against teams like Germany and Australia, will help the boys get better before the Beijing Olympics which is my final target,” he said.

“The next training camp will begin from April 8.”