Muscat, Oct 17 - The stage is set, the battlelines are drawn and Asian hockey’s biggest stars are ready to light up the Muscat skies with their mesmerising skills as the fifth edition of the Hero Asian Champions Trophy begins on Thursday.
The hockey arena of the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex will see Asian Games gold medallists Japan take on their opponents from that final, Malaysia, in what is expected to be a cracker of an opening game.
The match will kick off at 6.55 pm local time.
Malaysia captain Mohamad Sukri Abdul Mutalib said his team would be looking for redemption when they take on Japan in the first match of the tournament.
“Definitely, we would like to see the result is in our favour. In the Asian Games final, things slipped out of our hands but hopefully we can rectify it this time. We are confident but not overconfident,’’ he added.
Cynosure on
Oman-India match
All the Omani hockey lovers will probably get an opportunity to watch the biggest game in their recent history when Oman take on eight-time Olympic champions and Asian giants India in the second game.
With the FIH World Cup scheduled to be held in December in India, the Asian Champions Trophy will provide a perfect opportunity for the likes of India and Pakistan to get their house in order.
Oman look to
challenge India
Oman coach Tahir Zaman said the team will be missing six key regular members of the squad.
“We are without three main strikers Basim Rajab Khatar, Muhanna and Imad along with Mahmood, Ghazal and Ali are unavailable to play. However, it will be a huge opportunity for the new players to ply their skills in such a big competition.
It is an exciting opportunity to play in front of your home crowd against top teams. The boys are looking forward and it is the first time in their playing career, they will be playing against such good teams.
We have set our target that the grey areas that we identified in Jakarta like keeping the momentum after the first two quarters. The ability to sustain the pressure will be important.
Coach Zaman said the India game will be a great learning opportunity for Oman.
“India is a very mature, seasoned and experienced side. It is going to be interesting how the match turns out to be,’’ he added.
Zaman also said that Oman will be richer by experience.
“The boys need to get a feel of high performance matches. Once they are able to perform without fear, that will be the big gain for us.
Indian captain exudes confidence
The Indian captain Manpreet Singh was all gung-ho before the start of the tournament and stated that the team wanted to put the Asian Games behind.
“We were disappointed from the Asian Games performance. This is a good event to prepare for the World Cup.
Manpreet also said the much-anticipated India-Pakistan match will be well fought.
“We are not taking any team lightly, we will play our 100 per cent in every match. We will be at our best against Pakistan. They are a very good team,’’ he added.
AHF CEO happy for Oman
Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) CEO Tayyib Ikram expressed his happiness in bringing big-ticket hockey to Oman.
“I am very delighted to bring the tournament to Oman. It will be a showcase event for Oman and Muscat. There are a lot of good hockey players in Oman. I think this is a package of objectives.”
Ikram also reiterated that the India-Pakistan match on October 20 will be the marquee event of the tournament.
‘It is wonderful and it will be great for TV viewership and the tickets are sold out.
With a large expatriate community, we are expecting a festive atmosphere for the match,’’ he added.
Oman Hockey Association (OHA) chairman Talib al Wahaibi thanked the AHF and hoped for a great tournament.
“We are elated to have world class players in Oman and over the span of ten days, hockey lovers will get to witness top class hockey. I am grateful for the AHF to have given us an opportunity to host a marquee Asian event and I am hoping all the participating nations will enjoy their stay in Muscat, I wish all the teams the very best,’’ the chairman added.
Haridev Pushparaj
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