Three players made their senior international debut for Pakistan on Thursday. Kashif Shah, Mohammed Rizwan Junior and Waqas Akbar have graduated from the junior ranks. While Kashif made immediate impact with a goal, Rizwan was largely unseen on the field and Waqas did not start the game. Guess the latter two will have to wait a little longer to prove themselves.
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The Pakistan team were awarded their fifth penalty corner in the final second. Even though they were unable to convert any of the five they got, what made the last one different was Imran Khan’s spontaneous falling on ground to thank god even before the final whistle. It was strange to see the goalkeeper prostrate while the other 10 Pakistan players were still lining up to take the shot. That it failed to add too the tally is another matter.
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Footballers may be the favourite style icons but hockey players are not too far behind. Even some of the sober veterans have decided to go funky with their hairstyles here. If Kiwi Hugo Inglis was the standout player for his team with a thivck shock of golden hair, Pakistani star Shakeel Abbasi’s trademark unruly locks have suddenly undergone severe straightening and, with a headband, he locks unrecognizable. Even Sohail Abbas has been sporting a semi-mohawk. Among the Indians, Vikas Pillay’s beaded long locks have helped him stand apart.
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School kids are the most convenient way to fill up an empty stadium. In Ipoh on the first day, even they were available only in limited numbers to cheer the teams. Even though the organizers have tried to make it attractive for the spectators by giving away free gifts by lucky draw in between games, Just a handful of kids were present for every match, divided into two groups to support each team. While this was just the first day, the laidback town of Ipoh doesn’t seem to care too much for its sports.
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There seems no end to controversies where Indian hockey is concerned. If it was off the field all this while, it spilled on to the field as well on Thursday when the Koreans took exception to what they claimed was a disallowed goal. The Koreans got a penalty corner and while the umpires ruled it out, the Koreans, trailing by a goal then, claimed it had gone through the back net. They even found a hole in the net to prove their point. But after two green cards for over-protesting and taking the issue to the technical bench, they had to accept the decision.
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If the IPL got cheergirls, the Malaysians seem to be inspired to take it a step further. Ahead of the host team’s first match in the competition against Great Britain, a group of young kids took to the field in brilliant red and white uniforms. As the assembled crowd cheered – there were quite a few local supporters for the final match of the opening day – the kids, who all were under the age of 14, performed a series of attractive and impressive moves, to encourage and cheer the team. Their performance was appreciated by everyone present. That it failed to give the needed thrust to the team that finally lost 1-3 is another matter.