Hyderabad: IT’S the generation next of hockey’s equivalent of a specialist-the drag-flicker. But that’s all that is common between the penalty corner experts of India, Pakistan and Korea, the three strongest title contenders for the junior Asia Cup here.

Pakistan have Kashif Ali in their ranks while India have Diwakar Ram and the Koreans Nam Hyun Woo. The only other similarity is the fact that all of them, despite being members of the junior squad, have played at the senior level. But when it comes to skills, they have already proved they are next to none. While Diwakar leads the scorers’ list with six goals so far, Woo has scored five and Kashif has scored three. “Kashif is talented but temperamental.

We have been working on that aspect – his temper does manage to get the better of him sometimes,” says Pakistan coach and former Olympian Kamran Ashraf. “We are also working on his defence as there is no point in being a one-skill player,” he adds.

Diwakar appears ice-cool in comparison.

Having come into the limelight during the eight-nation tournament in Germany earlier this year, he reinforced his spot in the team by being the highest goal scorer at the Sultan Azlan Shah tournament last month. “Diwakar is very talented and doesn’t lose his cool. His temperament is an advantage during play as well – being a defender, he doesn’t let too many balls in,” says coach AK Bansal, who has been grooming Diwakar from his Air India Academy days. In contrast, Woo is a winger who doesn’t only score off penalty corners but also in the flow of the game and sets up others for goals. He has been the one-man army for Korea, impressing with his tremendous ball control, speedy runs and ability to break past any defence. “Woo has undoubtedly been my best player so far, a specialist penalty corner expert,” admits Korean coach Shin Seok Kyo.

“He can score at will and creates chances for others. He is a striker unlike others but that helps because he is in a better position to judge the goalkeeper’s reactions,” he adds.

The three have come along at a time when their teams have been lacking a specialist drag flicker. While Pakistan have experimented with several options ever since Sohail Abbas disappeared from the scene, India have been struggling even before that with Jugraj Singh and Sandeep Singh struggling with life-threatening accidents and VR Raghunath failing at the international level. For Korea, though they have Jang Jong Hyun, Woo is undoubtedly a world-class player.

But their coaches war no fit being too early to label them match-winners. “There is a long way to go before there can be any comparison with Sohail,” Ashraf is candid. Bansal agrees.

“Diwakar is very good but he needs time.

There is no point in rushing to tag a player before he is ready. There is substance but he has to go a long way before he can be slotted a match winner, specially at the senior level.”

And Kyo feels that Woo still needs to work a lot more to reach compatriot Jang Jong Hyun’s level. “But he will get there,” he adds.