New Delhi: Pakistan`s veteran striker Rehan
Butt has arrived here with two goals in mind -- to win the
hockey World Cup and meet cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar.
Proving that the cult of Tendulkar knows no boundary, the
Pakistani veteran of 239 international matches said the Indian
cricketer is a source of inspiration for sportspersons across
the globe and he was desperate to meet him once.
"Players like Sachin come once in a century. There is
no dearth of his fans in Pakistan as well. I did not get a
chance to meet him till date. I hope that this time my dream
comes true. We are here for World Cup and he is also in the
country," Rehan told reporters.
"He is a source of inspiration not only for the
cricketers but also for every sportsman. We get inspired by
watching him playing like this and that too after having 20
years of international experience behind him," said the poster
boy of Pakistan hockey.
Tendulkar`s aura only increased as the batting great
smashed the first ODI double century against South Africa in
Gwalior yesterday.
Most of Pakistani hockey players watched the match on
TV and marvelled at Tendulkar`s longevity and greatness.
Rehan said apart from winning the tournament, Pakistani
team would also spread the message of peace and brotherhood
during the February 28-March 13 event.
"We are goodwill ambassadors of our country. We are here
with the message of peace. We want to reduce the tension
between India and Pakistan through sports. We wish that Indian
hockey team reciprocates the gesture," he said.
Even though most of the visiting teams have security
apprehensions, Rehan said his teammates were focussing on
hockey only and nothing else.
"We are not concerned about security. We are here to
play. Indian government will take care of the rest," he said.
The 30-year-old drag-flicker said he enjoys playing on
Indian turf and the crowd support he gets here.
"Whenever I play in India, I feel like playing at home.
The Indian crowd encourage us a lot. They love Asian hockey
and they are not very keen to see the European brand of
hockey," said Rehan, who has made in the FIH`s all-star squad.
Pakistan play their first match in the mega event against
India and the former captain felt that the World Cup could not
get a better start than this.
"It is good there will be clash of titans on first day
itself. There will be a lot of hype but we will take it
positively. Whichever team wins, will have a psychological
advantage in the remainder of tournament," he said.
Neither Pakistan nor India are tipped favourites but
Rehan said both sides can upset the bigger teams.
"Australia and Germany seem to be strongest teams on
paper but India and Pakistan can upset any big team on their
day. We have the finest drag-flickers like Sohail Abbas for
Pakistan while you have Sandeep Singh and Diwakar Ram for
India. They will play a major role," he said.
PTI
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