KARACHI, May 19 Dutch hockey coaching advisor Wouter Erik Tazelaar has praised Pakistan Hockey Federation's (PHF) initiatives to uplift the game of hockey from the grassroots level.

Wouter, who has been hired by PHF to improve the hockey structure in Pakistan, visited the PHF Academy at the Hockey Club of Pakistan (HCP) on Tuesday and said that setting academies was a good way to uplift the game of hockey. “But the players in the academy have only just started playing hockey and it will be at least two years before they play hockey properly.”

However, Tazelaar added that the boys were motivated and spirited. Therefore they would learn quickly too. “If the academies each produce three to four players who can secure a berth in the national team then I think the academies would be serving their purpose. I see two or three talented players in this lot too,” he said about the boys at the HCP.

Tazelaar suggested that the Pakistan hockey team should have 11 attackers as well as 11 defenders ready to play so that they could have two extreme strategies. “They must also learn 70 minutes of attack as well as 70 minutes of defence. They seem to be having a problem in passing, which must be worked on as well,” he said.

“There must be weekly tournaments in order to increase the players' fitness level. The Karachi team must visit Lahore [and vice versa] and different tournaments between various cities must be played regularly.”

Meanwhile, the academy coach Asif Ahmed Khan informed that the strength of the academy is 33 players with 11 U-14 players and as many U-15 and U-16 players.—PPI