Penalty conversion still weak link

Published October 25, 2001

LAHORE, Oct 24: Penalty corner conversion, despite having services of the specialist, Sohail Abbas, seemed to be the grey area during the national hockey training camp here Wednesday.

Although Sohail missed the target several times, the defenders too failed to thwart the full-back’s drag flicks due to lack of practice.

The camp, which concludes Thursday, has been set up for next month’s Champions Trophy to be staged in the Dutch city of Rotterdam from Nov 3.

Shahbaz Ahmad, who has staged a comeback for the third time, has been suffering from fever. He said he had attended only the morning session.

The striker said he becomes feverish after 11.00am and was being treated by a doctor.

Meanwhile, camp commandant, Brig Khalid Khokhar, reached the camp 10 minutes before the conclusion of the training, while he also arrived late Tuesday.

With coach Hanif Khan on leave, Khawaja Junaid is the only coach supervising the training camp.

The late arrival of Brig Khokhar is affecting the discipline of the players as some of them were seen off the field relaxing and rushing back on seeing the camp commandant coming.

It may be mentioned that Brig Khokhar had also left the training camp for couple of days when the team was preparing in Karachi for the all-important European tour.

The camp trainees re-assemble in Lahore on Oct 27 to attend a reception being hosted by the Pakistan Hockey Federation in the afternoon. The team departs for Rotterdam Sunday (Oct 28).

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