KARACHI, Sept 18: Top Olympians on Thursday demanded the resignation of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) President Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali for the team’s worst-ever showing in the Beijing Olympics last month.

“It’s time for Jamali to step down in the larger interest of hockey after the debacle in Beijing,” former Olympian and star centre-forward Hasan Sardar said at a local hotel on Thursday.

“Despite the bleak scenario, hockey is still alive with the presence of a large number of hockey players and supporters here,” said a charged-up Hasan.

He said the debacle in the 1986 World Cup in London where Pakistan finished 11th was due to politics but in China it was Pakistan’s worst-show in the 15 Olympics that they have featured in.

Hasan added that even though he respected Zafarullah Jamali personally, the former premier should have quit PHF post after the Beijing debacle. “Jamali has not stepped down inspite of the hockey disaster. If required, I will myself meet the prime minister and the president to convince them for Jamali’s removal,” he said.

Four Olympians Hasan Sardar, Nasir Ali, Rashid-ul-Hasan, Salim Sherwani- all members of the Los Angles gold medal-winning team - demanded of Mr Jamali to step down immediately.

They pointed out that the Pakistan team also slumped to the worst-ever sixth position in last year’s Asia Cup in Chennai and finishing eighth at the Olympics was the last straw in Pakistan hockey.

Former International Muhammad Shafiq, an ex-manager of the Pakistan junior team and the main organiser of the programme, called for bringing in the change at the top at once to save the game in Pakistan.

“After the resignation of team management and the selection committee, everyone was expecting Mir Zafarullah Jamali to quit also but it never came.”

Several former and current international players expressed their dismay at Jamali’s act of staying on and demanded that former Olympian full-back Qasim Zia should be made in charge of the PHF because of his long association with the sport.

Shafiq pointed out that despite being the PHF chief, Jamali had no say in International Hockey Federation (FIH) or Asian Hockey Federation nor did he know much about managing the game.

He also said that a liked-minded group will soon be launching a Hockey Players Association to serve the cause of the sport.

Other Olympians who spoke on the occasion included former PHF Secretary Akhtar-ul-Islam, Wasim Feroz and former PHF member Mansoor Khan. Besides, the seminar was attended by former Olympians Qamar Zia, Muhammad Anis, Internationals Jan Muhammad, Khalid Paracha, Pervez Iqbal, Mumtaz Haider, Safdar Abbas, Arif Bophali, Sanaullah, Muhammad Ali, Asif Ahmed and some officials of Karachi and Sindh Hockey Association.—APP