KARACHI, March 6: Pakistan's new manager-cum-chief hockey coach Islahuddin Siddiqui said on Tuesday that lifting Pakistan team is a gigantic task but he has accepted this responsibility as a challenge.

“My immediate goal is to lift the morale of the boys and motivate them for upcoming assignments,” he told APP in an interview. “This is a very difficult task but I am looking forward to it.”

Olympian Islahuddin indicated that it will take a few years to lift the standard of the team and make it a strong combination.

Islah, who performed a treble in 1978 by winning the World Cup in Buenos Aires, Asian Games in Bangkok and Champions Trophy in Karachi, said creating interest among masses in hockey was another one of his aims.

“With PHF I would be working to first stop the shrinking base of hockey and create interest among the youngsters,” he remarked. “Hockey has gone down because of lack of interest at grassroot level and domination of cricket in the media.”

“Except for Rabo Bank success, Pakistan team has struggled in the past few years,” he maintained. The former captain said he will try his level best to fulfil the faith reposed in him by the new chief of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali.

Islah said improving the overall standard of the team and their fitness level were the key areas that required quick attention. “My immediate plan, apart from motivation and fitness of the players, is to give them exposure against top European teams,” he said.

“Discovering some talented players and preparing them for Beijing Olympics will be the part of my long term planning,” he concluded. -—APP