August 11, 2008	Monday	Sha’aban 8, 1429

BEIJING, Aug 10: Pakistan will be looking for a winning start when they take on Great Britain in their inaugural match at the Beijing Olympics hockey event at the Green Stadium on Monday.

Pakistan team, which finished a disappointing sixth under Rehan Butt at the Athens Games in 2004, are better prepared and more determined to excel this time round.

Pakistan came back in a grand manner to draw 4-4 against Great Britain in their recent encounter at Dublin last May after being 0-4 down at one stage.

However, Olympics is a different ball game altogether and Zeeshan Ashraf’s men need a solid start to survive in their tough group which also feature defending champion Australia and title aspirant Netherlands. The other teams in the pool are Canada and South Africa.

The other pool comprises Belgium, China, Germany, Korea, New Zealand and Spain.

Pakistan hockey has struggled in the past few years with no major title coming its way. However, even its critics believe that the team has worked hard for the Beijing Games and may pull off a surprise in the mega event.

“Monday’s game is definitely a very important one and we will be going all out to win it,” said Captain Zeeshan Ashraf while talking to reporters on the eve of the event. “We are ready for the task ahead are hoping to bring good results,” he added. “Saqlain and Waqas Sharif have fully recovered and will be in action tomorrow.”

“It is time for us to make our mark once again in a sport which we dominated for several years during the previous decades.”

Pakistan boast talented players in the forward line including Waqas Akbar, Abbas Haider, Waqas Sharif, Rehan Butt and Shakeel Abbasi who can topple any side on their day.

On the other hand, the Britain match will be a stern test of Pakistan’s mid-field comprising Saqlain, Adnan, Asif Rana and deep defenders Muhammad Imran and Imran Warsi with goalie Salman under the bars.

Pakistan won three Olympic hockey golds in Rome (1960), Mexico (1968) and Los Angles (1984) respectively while securing a bronze at Barcelona (1992).

But since then, the Asian hockey power has been gone medal-less in Atlanta (1996) and Sydney (2000).—APP

Men’s Olympic hockey schedule (all times PST)

Aug 11: China v Germany (6:30am); Pakistan v Great Britain (8.30am); South Korea v New Zealand (400pm); Australia v Canada (4.30pm); Spain v Belgium (6.30pm); Netherlands v South Africa (7.00pm).

Aug. 13: Australia v South Africa (6.30am); China v South Korea (8.30am); Pakistan v Canada (4:00pm); Belgium v Germany (4.30pm); Spain v New Zealand (6:30pm); Great Britain v Netherlands (7.00pm).

Aug. 15: China v Spain (6.30am); Canada v Netherlands (8.30am); Belgium v New Zealand (4.00pm); Australia v Pakistan (4:30pm); South Korea v Germany (6.30pm); South Africa v Great Britain (7.00pm).

Aug 17: Canada v Great Britain (6.30am); Belgium v South Korea (8.30am); Pakistan v South Africa (4:00pm); China v New Zealand (4.30pm); Australia v Netherlands (6.30pm); Germany v Spain (7.00pm).

Aug. 19: Pakistan v Netherlands (6.30am); Germany v New Zealand (8.30am); Canada v South Africa (4:00pm); South Korea v Spain (4.30pm); Australia v Great Britain (6.30pm); China v Belgium (7.00pm).

Aug 21: Classification match for 9th/10th places (6.30am); Classification match for 7th/8th places (9:00am); First semi-final (4:00pm); Second semi-final (6:30pm).

Aug 23: Classification match for 11th/12th places (6:30am); Classification match for 5th/6th places (9:00am); Bronze medal match (4:00pm); Gold medal match (6:30pm).