PHF ropes in Mansoor to train under-achieving goalkeepers

KARACHI: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) will establish academies for goalkeepers in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad with former Pakistan goalkeeper Mansoor Ahmed in charge, ‘The News’ learnt on Wednesday.
Mansoor — a 1994 Hockey World Cup winner — joined the national hockey team’s training camp in Islamabad on the invitation of PHF where he assisted chief coach Tahir Zaman.
According to sources, the performance of goalkeepers in the camp was not satisfactory which is why the PHF decided to hire the services of a specialist goalkeeping coach.
Mansoor, when contacted, said that the PHF would establish academies after departure of national junior hockey team to Malaysia and plans in this regard are being finalised.
He lamented the fact that during the past several years, no measures were takes to prepare goalkeepers at the domestic level.
He said that the planned academies would train goalies at under-14, under-16 and under-18 level and co-operation of departmental and associations’ teams would also be sought for this purpose.
Mansoor told this scribe that he had spent ten days in the training camp to work on three goalkeepers — Ali Haider, Salal Khalid and Ali Raza — and he will continue to coach them till the team’s departure to Malaysia.
However, he admitted that the goalkeepers still need to work hard to prove themselves as they are passing through a learning phase.
“Their leg guards are weak and they lack agility but they are committed and eager to work hard and learn,” said Mansoor.
He also pointed out that the performances of goalkeepers count these days and they play an important role in a team’s victory. The former Olympian added that PHF needs to prepare a talented bunch of goalkeepers and engage them in the domestic circuit otherwise the Greenshirts will have to rely on other areas like forwards, PC specialists and defenders which are often not enough to bring success.
It may be mentioned here that due to a series of rule changes over the years, hockey has become a fast-paced sport in which a goalie players the most important role. Pakistan have produced world class goalies like Shahid Ali Khan and Mansoor Ahmed but the level of their goalies has not been the same in recent years.