KARACHI, Nov 8: In order to inspire and motivate the Pakistan junior hockey team ahead of the challenging India series, Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), Sindh, and Karachi Hockey Association (KHA) arranged a meeting of the youngsters with the national cricket team and its coach at the National Stadium on Saturday.

On the occasion, the cricket team, practicing at the stadium for the forthcoming One-day International series against the West Indies in Abu Dhabi, took a short break to extend a warm welcome to the young representatives of Pakistan’s national sport.

It was a momentous occasion for the hockey players who had themselves taken a breather from their training camp at the Hockey Club of Pakistan (HCP) in preparation for the forthcoming junior home series against India which starts here from November 11.

Later, the boys were given a half an hour lecture by Pakistan cricket team’s newly-appointed coach Intikhab Alam in the visiting team’s dressing room where they also had a good view of the practicing cricketers.

While addressing the boys, Intikhab stressed on them the importance of discipline. “You are to give it maximum importance. It is a way of life that keeps you on track,” he said.

Obedience was another thing he spoke about. “If you listen carefully to what your coaches and seniors have to say, their words will go a long way to help your career later on,” he reasoned.

Coming to the home series with India, Intikhab said: “Pakistan and India are traditional rivals, which is why you have to confront the visiting boys with the will to win.

“However, winning and losing are both a part of the game … You will be ridiculed and made fun of whenever you lose as your people like other nations of the world also love victory. It is you who would have to take the defeat in your stride while not taking it to heart.”

While talking about the recent changes within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the PHF, he said: “Both the PCB and PHF have been through a lot of changes lately. We both have technocrats and professionals at the helm in the form of Ijaz Butt and Qasim Zia and can expect them to bring positive changes to their respective sports,” he said about the new cricket board and hockey federation heads.

“Qasim Zia and the PHF Secretary Asif Bajwa have enjoyed a great past in hockey and they would be putting that fine experience to use,” he told them.

Finally, Intikhab Alam appealed to the Pakistan nation to fill up the stadium stands in order to cheer and buck up their young hockey team. The media too was requested to encourage the juniors.

Later, the junior team’s newly-appointed chief coach Qamar Ibrahim thanked Intikhab Alam and his team on behalf of his boys and the PHF for taking out precious time from their busy training schedule to meet with them. He said he took pride in the fact that his boys had been working very hard. “We are definitely going for the win.

And as the boys will give their best on the field, they will also be in control off it,” he announced.

As a gesture of thanks, Qamar presented a hockey stick with the boys’ signatures along with the traditional green PHF kit to Intikhab. Also present on the occasion were the KHA President and Organising Secretary Mohammad Farooq Khan and PHF, Sindh, Media Coordinator Ghulam Mohammad Khan.