Tue, Nov 23 10 09:52 PM
Karachi, Nov 23 (PTI) Pakistan''s march to the final of the men''s hockey event in the Asian Games today sparked off wide-scale celebrations in the country. Pakistan stunned South Korea in a nerve-wrecking penalty-shootout to progress to the title round for the first time in 20 years. The last time Pakistan had won the Asian Games was in 1990, in Beijing. Qasim Zia, president of the Pakistan Hockey Federation, described the victory as a shot in the arm for the sport in the country. "This victory has given a fresh lease of life to hockey in Pakistan and I am 100 per cent sure the boys will now beat Malaysia in the final and bring home the gold medal," Zia, a former Olympian, said. Zia said that the team''s spirited effort against the Koreans, normally a very tough opponents, and Malaysia''s victory over India in the other semifinal, have given him hope of a Pakistan win in the final. "Playing India in the final would have obviously brought extra pressure on the boys, and also, given the fact that they have beaten us thrice this year in major events. So, it is a good thing we are playing Malaysia in the final, but we can''t take them lightly at all as they played superb hockey against the in-form Indians today," Zia said. Federal minister for sports, Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani, said the victory was a good omen for hockey, which was Pakistan''s national sport. "At a time when we are fighting so many problems in Pakistan, such a victory is indeed good news for the nation. Specially coming on the heels of the women''s (cricket) team''s gold medal in the Asian Games," Jakhrani said. The Pakistan hockey federation and the national team has been under fire for their inconsistent performances in recent times. They finished 12th in the World Cup in New Delhi, and sixth in the Commonwealth Games, in the same city Former Olympians have been calling for the heads of PHF secretary, Asif Bajwa, and some players and have also criticised the appointment of a foreign coach with the team. After the victory however, they were also in a jubilant mood. Samiullah said that Pakistan still needed to improve a lot and show more coordination on the field. "They won today and that is the bottomline but the fact is we still have weaklinks and we need to improve on them," he said. Islahuddin said that the victory was good for hockey''s future in Pakistan as people had started losing interest and passion for the sport after a spate of defeats. "It is good to see us winning in hockey once again because this is our national game. The victory over Korea will boost the morale of our players before the final." PTI Corr AH
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