ISLAMABAD - Pakistan junior team squash coach Gogi Allauddin joined the national camp here on late Monday night.
Gogi will accompany the junior team, comprising Tayyab Aslam, Syed Ali Bokhari, Asim Khan and Israr Ahmed, set to feature in the World Junior Individual and Team Championship starting from August 9 in Namibia.
Talking to The Nation on Tuesday, Gogi said: “I have trained the boys in Punjab and know their weaknesses and plus points. I am taking a very balanced team and I am quite confident they will perform as per expectations.”
“It is a big event and this will be the last chance for Tayyab and Ali so they must sign off on a high and help the country lift the major title, which Pakistanis last lifted in 2008. Now there are realistic chances of repeating that feat, as my team is very passionate and every player is a natural fighter. Definitely, we will mainly rely on experienced duo of Tayyab and Ali, but if the situation demands, I will not hesitate to make decision accordingly,” he added.
When this scribe asked Gogi about his trained players Asim and Israr who are not performing well while Tayyab and Ali are not training under him rather they have separate coaches in Punjab, Gogi replied: “Tayyab has played with him but only Ali didn’t train under him. As far as Asim and Israr are concerned they have overplayed, they are burnt out, but they will get back into shape before the start of the event.”
When asked about chances of players in individual category, Gogi said: “The competition is very tough as every participant will enter the court with the aim of lifting the title. But our players have quite fair chances. Tayyab is in top four and Ali is in top nine to 12, while Israr is also in the top half. They are all in the main round and it is a huge draw and top players will mainly get a bye in the first round.”
When asked about whether he will implement his own ways of coaching or follow national head coach Jamshed Gul's directions, he said: “As I am in the national camp and I am told to follow the national coach directions for this event, I will do as directed. My main objective is to take team and take best out of them and return as triumphant.”