ISLAMABAD, Feb 26 (APP): Once glittering on global sports horizons by securing all international titles, Pakistan’s hockey started witnessing continuous deterioration after the tenure of Air Marshal Noor Khan.
There were times when Pakistan was the most successful team in World Cups, Olympics and Champions Trophy with winning four World Cups in 1971, 1978, 1982 and 1994. Pakistan also has three gold medals in Olympic Games field hockey tournaments in Rome 1960, Mexico City 1968 and Los Angeles 1984.
Then its downfall started with its respective heads failing to maintain the momentum of past Pakistan and an always-winning team that played all World Cup editions, could not qualify for 2014 and 2023 Hockey World Cups.
Hockey Team’s non-qualifying for the World Cup and Olympics never meant that it could not rise from slumber once again. But, only after a consensus is reached among the stakeholders to bring it back on track through strict measures from the grassroots to the top level.
Speaking on revival of the national game, Olympian Shahbaz Ahmed Sr emphasised proper education of players as he deems that an illiterate cannot carry on in international sports without education.
“There is also a need to build four to five hockey centers in the country directly operated under the federation,” he added. “Youth must be spotted from grassroots, educated and fed properly and trained at these centers according to international standards.”
Shahbaz further pleaded that the PHF must have a proper annual budget and the federation should itself manage its affairs. “Every time we have to request the government for grants to participate in national and international championships or preparation of training camps abroad.”
He said, “if a proper budget is allocated for PHF, we can manage the game by ourselves. Young players must also be offered regular jobs as was happening during our times when all players had jobs in different departments.”
Shahbaz advocated organizing Pakistan Hockey League (PHL) as he believes it would prove a key step towards reviving the national game. “Besides providing financial support to PHF, the league will help explore new talent for regaining our lost glory.”
The green shirts were also one of the most successful national teams in the Asian Games with eight gold medals in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1990 and 2010, the highest number of times a country has come first and the only Asian team to have won the prestigious Champions Trophy with three championships in 1978, 1980 and 1994.
Once an unbeaten center-forward and a star Olympian Shahnaz Shaikh pleads to blend young players with experienced hands for forming a squad that owns the potential to beat any team in the world.
“Players need to improve their movements and points marking in the D area. They should avoid counterattacks and improve the conversion of penalty corners. If we get three to four penalty corners at least two must be utilized,” Shahnaz said.
“We need to strongly work on all these things if we want to improve our game. Our players must play with unity and avoid individual point scoring in any game,” he commented.
Further suggesting measures for improvement, he said, there were around 28 Education Boards in the country with hundreds of schools affiliated with each Board. “Therefore, if each government school is allowed to participate in tournaments, the total number of participating teams would be in hundreds. This practice would be a sort of talent hunt bringing new players to the national squad.”
He also suggested designated hockey fields to promote the game as he recalled, “in our times plentiful of national and district tournaments were held annually for improvement of players mental and physical strength.”
“Then there were different departments, offering jobs to players. But, rapid changes in the hockey setup affected the game badly,” he said.
He said this year the Hockey World Cup was held in India in January and it was the second time when Pakistan failed to qualify for the tournament after also missing out in the 2014 World Cup. “At present, the Pakistan national hockey team holds 16th spot in International Hockey Federation (FIH) rankings, that is painful.”
Olympian Rana Mujahid Ali also complained of inadequate facilities in even major cities to promote hockey. “Faisalabad has always been a hub for hockey contributing more players to national hockey team than any other city.”
He said that out of four World Cups won by Pakistan, in World Cups of 1971, 1982 and 1994, the team leaders Khalid Mehmood, Akhtar Rasool and Shahbaz Senior, hailed from Faisalabad. Tariq Aziz, the captain of the Olympic gold medal-winning team in 1968, also hailed from Faisalabad.
“Even today, there is no shortage of hockey players in Faisalabad, but they lack facilities and face difficulties in improving their game,” he said.
“Faisalabad Hockey Stadium was the only place in the city where an Astroturf was available, but it was destroyed many years ago and a new turf has yet to be laid.”
Since hockey is our national game and its deterioration is paining everybody, therefore it is direly needed to revive this game once again for winning the laurel for the nation.
APP/vad/taj/maz (APP Feature Service)
