The Oman team here in Hyderabd is perhaps the youngest of the eight teams seating it out for the junior Asia Cup glory. About nine Oman team members are under 18; their focus being the next Asian Games.
The team has a foreign coach in burly Allan William Sinclair, and Balaji, a physiotherapist from India.
Our focus is Guangzhou Asiad, where we want to make a good mark” said an official with the team.
Hockey in Oman is played for long time, almost hundred years old. Considering not many gulf country play hockey, Oman gives a refreshing hope.
There around 400 hockey players in the tiny country, of 3 lac population including 1 lack Indians working there. No surprise everyone in Oman understand and speak Hindi.
The Australian coach Sinclair is there with the team about an year, and his believed to be on a long term contract.
Physiotherapist Balaji, from Chennai, is with the Oman Hockey Federation for about three years by now.
The Oman team did not play well here, despite playing reasonably well against Pakistan – it lot the contest 5-1 though.
This team is on tour for about two months. First, it had a camp in Qatar and then played in the Asia Cup qualifier at Singapore.
At Singapore, the team finished below Bangladesh and thus qualified for the next year’s senior Asia cup, which might be held again in India if the current mood in the Asian Hockey Federation are any indication.
After that the team went to train in Egypt. The boys are therefore tired, confided one official.
“In Oman the students have three months school vacation, June – August. These boys have been on toes for last two months. Hockey is essentially played in these periods. Now the boys are tired, they will certainly improve”, said the same official.