The Pakistan men's hockey team has arrived in Chennai on Tuesday ahead of the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy 2023, starting on August 3rd and continuing till the 12th. The arrival of both Pakistan and China to India engrossed the fans, with the former coming via the Attari-Wagah Border and taking a flight to Chennai from Bengaluru.
Pakistan are arguably one of the of the toughest competitors, having won the title thrice, making them the most successful side alongside India. Hence, the neighbouring action will aim to lift the trophy for the 4th time and will compete against hosts India, Korea, China, Malaysia and Japan.
Speaking about their preparations, coach Sheikh Shahnaz underlined that they relish playing in India, given it adds to the pressure, prompting quality players to step up. As quoted by ANI News, Shahnaz stated:
"We are always excited to play in India and it definitely adds to the pressure, but good quality players know how to perform and deliver under pressure; hence, we are hopeful of a good show on and off the field."
Pakistan captain hopeful of familiarity in the tournament:
Meanwhile Pakistan skipper Umar Bhutta stated that they will try to draw knowledge from the junior team, who have played in India and underlined the need to get accustomed to the conditions. Bhutta said:
Many of the young players in our team recently played in the Junior Asia Cup. So, for them, this tournament will be familiar to a certain extent and they won't find it very difficult to get accustomed to the conditions here and play in such high-level tournaments as I think a sportsman is habitual to soak pressure and perform in crunch situations."
The Men in Green will open their campaign against Malaysia on August 3rd.
