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27-06 Michel van den Heuvel Pakistan will fly high again

2010-06-27 14:06:00

Newly hired Dutch hockey coach Michel van den Heuvel said on Friday that he knows Pakistan’s glorious past and his mission is to make Pakistan fly high again internationally.

“As a young boy I watched Pakistan play, and they were not normal players because they use to fly and the aim is to make this beautiful green team fly again.” he told reporters in his first news conference alongwith Chief Selector Hanif Khan and Manager Manzoor Junior at Hockey Club of Pakistan.

“I have been working with them for the last four five days and they are responding well and adapting well to the coaching,” he said.

Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has appointed Michel van den Heuvel as the national coach till 2012 Olympics in London.

“What I saw during the World Cup in New Delhi, Pakistan looked overtrained and exhausted. I wants to help PHF in making Pakistan a strong team,” 46-year-old Van den Heuvel, helped the Netherlands to grab bronze medal in India, said.

“Its long process and I would be working hard with supporting staff to improve their game and make them a good combination,” he commented.

“I saw Pakistan team in Qatar and was impressed with their flair but in New Delhi I saw their match against India, when they were not playing with flair,” he maintained.

“When they called me , I examined the possibility. I wanted to have a feel, I have been to Pakistan on several occasion but little wary due to law and order.

“I came to Lahore and it looked like a jail, there were road blocks to the office ( hockey federation office),” he pointed out.—APP