One of these days, FIH website went off. The team here could not provide Match Line up. So someone
managed it by wirting the match sheet and distributing xerox copies, seemed for a while we are in old times when handwritten match sheets were common occurrences.
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Pakistan’s coach Shahnaz Sheikh is more communicative than most of his counterparts. After the end of a match or a practice session, while the coaches of most of the teams limit themselves to topic revolving around their match and players, Sheikh is more vocal and gives ample time to each and every media person answering to all their queries with patience. When Pakistan surprised everyone by winning against World Number two Netherlands and secured its semi-final berth, the coach did not hide his excitement and happily posed with skipper Muhammad Imran for each of the shutterbugs who kept on demanding him for different poses. In fact, he encouraged questions even when the team was at the losing end. After Pakistan lost its second pool match, the coach patiently answered to all the queries of a local journalist who was covering his first hockey assignment and was not at ease interviewing him. He gently patted him on the shoulders, addressing him as ‘beta’ (child) and giving him bytes. However, his most recent discovery is the coinage of a new term called ‘9/11,’ which he says he will use against the Indians in the semi-final match. No, it does not refer to the 9/11 attacks of the United States of America. It rather means that while playing offensive, Pakistan will attack with nine players and while defensive, all the eleven players will act as defenders. Well, a cool and humorous coach is often a delight for the media.
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Nice to see here many schools send their kids to watch morning session of action. About 600 school kids make up the stand sizeably, keep cherring one side, responding to the tunes of local language cine pops.

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Its interesting to see here high balls during practice sessions fall into the adjacent swimming pool. Every team make a customary visit to the swimming pool to collect the floating ball as they depart for the day. A swimming pool assistant is often seen holding a long handle to collect floating ball

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A lot many local hockey teams, coaches, research students are here to witness top level internatinal hockey. 16 players from Pune are here, seen them interacting with Viren Rasquinha on the main stands.

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Viren is obviously upset the way television celebrity Suheil Seth insulting him Times of India’s recent LitFest. He is also equally happy people have taught him a lesson in social media, Suheil has to tender public apology.
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All mediamen here are a happy lot after India defeated Netherlands. One of them exlaimed: Our tirp here is now justified. Lest, we would have been hounded for advising a flop tournament’. Som, victories has many positive impact.

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