Islamabad (TDI): Floris Jan Bovelander, the former Dutch Hockey Player, expressed optimism regarding the future of hockey in Pakistan. He stated on Monday that with proper training and global exposure, Pakistan’s national hockey could regain its former glory.
Floris Jan Bovelander, who was a renowned hockey player for the Netherlands, and stood victorious at the 1990 Hockey World Cup, is currently on a visit to Pakistan, to conduct a training for the young hockey players from Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Bovelander is also expected to hold a training session in Lahore in the coming days.
During the training sessions, the legendary Dutch player guided Pakistan’s young hockey aspirants on advanced penalty corner techniques, game awareness as well as offensive strategies.
During the sessions at the Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium, he stated, “Talent is important, but achieving success in international hockey requires a combination of hard work and intelligent training.”
The training sessions were organized with the assistance of Khawaja Junaid Hockey Academy (KJHA) in collaboration with the Pakistan Sports Board and the Embassy of the Netherlands.
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Several young hockey players, former Olympians, coaches, and national team members, international sports officials including Dutch Ambassador Henny de Vries, were present during the sessions.
The Secretary of Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC), Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani, also attended the training session. He described Floris Jan Bovelander’s visit to Pakistan as a welcoming initiative which would assist the revival of hockey in Pakistan.
Wani stated that during his meeting with the Dutch hockey star, he discussed the lack of Astroturf facilities across Pakistan. Speaking to Dawn, he said, “Currently, there are around 40 Astroturf surfaces in Pakistan. We have now set a target to double this number to 80 over the next five years.”
With the right guidance and equipment, Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani hopes that Pakistan’s long lost hockey glory can be restored.
Javaria Khalid is a Web Contributor at The Diplomatic Insight Magazine. She specializes in covering geopolitical developments, international relations, diplomatic, and socio-economic developments in Europe and Pakistan.
