Pakistan Rugby Team Preparing Hard For Asian Games

Pakistan Rugby team is giving final touches to its preparations here at a camp for its participation in the Asian Games rugby event, being played in Jakarta.

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Aug, 2018 ) :Pakistan Rugby team is giving final touches to its preparations here at a camp for its participation in the Asian Games rugby event, being played in Jakarta.

"The team is in good shape and players are very determined to throw a decent challenge in the mega event," said Pakistani team's head coach, Shakeel Ahmad Malik, while talking to APP after a training session of the team at National Rugby academy on Thursday.

He said that the players were being trained in two daily sessions with morning session laying emphasis on physical fitness and individual training while afternoon session focuses on match practice and improving technique and other related aspects of the game.

Top 12 teams of the Asia including giants like Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand are China are featuring in the games. Pakistan has been placed in a pool whose other teams are Hong Kong, China and Thailand. Pakistan will play first match on August 30 against Hong Kong, second match on same day against Thailand and the third match is on August 31 against China. Pakistan team will leave for Indonesia on August 27 and its pool matches will be completed till September first and it will return home on September 2.

Following is the Pakistani team, Kashif Khwaja (Captain), Ahmed Waseem, Shoaib Akhtar, Nasir Mehmood, Muhammad Harron, Musadiq Altaf, Muhammad Waqas, Faisal Aslam, Ali Shahid, Khalid Hussain Bhatti, Muhammad Afzal and Daud Gill. Team officials, Shakeel Ahmed Malik Head coach & Manager, Dr Mohsin (Physio).

Head Coach Shakeel Ahmad said he is expecting that his team will put up a fine show to end up in top six position of the Asian Games.

"If we manage to achieve this goal, it will be a big achievement on part of our team and will definitely help in the further elevation of baseball in Pakistan where youth has a strong passion to take up rugby as a sport," he added.

He also praised the efforts of Pakistan Rugby Union for taking positive measures for the overall development of the game, especially at grass root level by introducing rugby in the far flung areas of the country and holding talent hunt programmes, both for men and women.

"Definitely all these measures will bring a very positive impact as far promotion of rugby is concerned in Pakistan," he said adding "Even the Asian rugby union has also acknowledged the efforts of PRU for the development of the game which is at a constant in the country."