KARACHI, Nov 8: Pakistan hockey officials’ “satisfaction” over dismal hockey scenario finally paid off as the team, as expected, hit the pits at the Busan Asian Games.

The worst happened as seven-time gold medallists Pakistan returned without any medal from Asiad for the first time in the history of the sport.

For some, it may be surprisingly a pathetic showing. But for many it was a foregone conclusion. Why our team should not be disgraced when the present Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) setup is bent on destroying the game with its consistent illogical steps since it took over on July 5, 2000.

The fact that team needed youth has been finally accepted by the manager Col Zafar Ali Khan and coach Tahir Zaman. Would it not be injustice to the sport if both are allowed to carry on after their admission?

The question is why they turned a deaf ear when the media and the technocrats suggested to infuse young blood into the squad after the World Cup in Kuala Lumpur earlier this year where Pakistan finished fifth.

Zafar and Tahir both took command before the Manchester Commonwealth Games and banked on old horses rather than youngsters.

PHF gave its vote of confidence and the team officials continued to rely on aging veterans who proved old workhorses against thoroughbreds at Cologne Champions Trophy and Asiad.

PHF secretary Brig Musarrat Ullah Khan and his close aides, Brig Khalid Khokhar and Col Abdur Rauf (retd), have let down the nation and the followers of the game.

While the PHF chief, Gen Aziz Khan has little or no time for hockey affairs, Musarrat and his two lieutenants should be held responsible for such humiliations.

What purpose the mind-numbing step of having three coaches for one squad has served when the team did not win even a single major title. It was the case of too many cooks spoil the broth.

The only logical explanation seems the PHF obliged people by either sending them on joyrides in the form of FIH courses abroad or as team managers and coaches to counter criticism.

How can one expect the team to perform when the likes of Brig Khalid Khokhar, who has no credentials, selects the squad for Olympics, Champions Trophy, and Asian Games, that too after watching the probables for just a day at the trials.

Is there any justification why Brig Khalid is still a national selector, while the selection committee has gone through changes at least thrice during the last two years. Is he a better hockey expert than the giants like Khalid Mahmood, Samiullah, or Shahnaz Sheikh who were axed as selectors.

Ironically, the brigadier selects the same players whom he failed to manage and was sacked as the manager after World Cup.

The PHF may have made “friends” by involving or rather buying favour of as many people as it can, but has damaged the sport in the process to such an extent that is absolutely unprecedented.

The PHF, apparently involved the former stars and officials, but until now the affairs are being run single-handedly by the Lahore-based secretariat.

The top official in any democratic and civilized country, whether a head of state or chief of a sports organization, quits after a disaster. Unfortunately the same does not apply in Pakistan. Here one only vacates the hot seat when forcibly kicked out.

Pakistan hockey, which brought the first-ever Olympic gold medal for the country is surely going through the darkest period of its history and the omens do point out further deterioration under the present incompetent PHF setup.