Samiullah calls for govt action against PHF
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ISLAMABAD: Ex-Olympian Samiullah Khan, who once ruled the game of hockey and was named ‘Flying Horse’ by the critics for his agility and scoring, said on Friday that the entire nation is in mourning over Pakistan hockey team’s shameful disqualification from the Rio Olympics 2016 and the government must take drastic steps to revive the game in the country.
Speaking to Dawn, the veteran player said:“We are upset, this is not a joke. Today we have lost the last opportunity of even qualifying for the Olympics, let alone win any medals. The present hockey management should voluntarily tender their resignations after this humiliation.” “Enough is enough,” he said. “The government should take strict action against the hockey management which first deprived the nation of featuring in the World Cup and now we have missed the Olympic berth.”
“I’m very sad today, we are four time winners of the World Cup, we won several gold and silver medals in the Olympic, but now we are unable to even participate in these prestigious tournaments,” he bemoaned.
Samiullah, who has been raising his voice over the decline of the game for more than a decade now, said a strict audit of the PHF accounts and its affairs should be carried out immediately to bring the truth out in the open.
Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2015
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Comments (30) Closed
Jul 05, 2015 07:01am
Mr. Flying Horse, Pak team physically unfit in compare other world teams, PHF chairman, selector Zafar, coach Shahnaz, Captain Imran to be resigned and seek mercy from Pakistan Nation this debacle.
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Jul 05, 2015 07:05am
I want to second SamiUllah's criticism. But I also want him to give solution to the problem. Criticism with solution is the need of the time.
PHF has no planning to search and train the youngsters at school level. They must start a prestigious hockey competition at the school level ,within the country.
You can not super train a bunch of jus eleven players and win the world class games. It takes hard work and creation of an institution.
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Jul 05, 2015 07:26am
Please handover senior positions of PHF on merit to people like Shahbaz Ahmad and promise no political interference...in 2 years see the result.
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Jul 05, 2015 07:39am
The few Pakistan internationals including Olympians (who won medals) that I have met , I have found them to be short sighted, egotistic, uneducated and motivated for personal gains. The PHF should be run by trained organizational professionals rather then former so called greats. A good clinician does not make a good administrator or planner. Similarly a great player does not make a great coach. Most successful coaches, and organization heads around the world were never great players.
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Jul 05, 2015 07:52am
Yes. I remember the flying horse. Watched him as a kid.
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Jul 05, 2015 08:23am
Matter of the fact is that there are no more international class players in Pakistan. Hockey is nearing its death in Pakistan just as in the case of squash. There is no money to promote the game, no grounds and no school level drives. Pakistan's present players can only suit a small passing Tika Taka styled game. They should copy football of Barcelona and play diamond or simple triangles. For that hire a spcialized coach which can be Micheal Laudrup of Denmark. You just need to revolutionize the game to something which other teams are not used to.
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Jul 05, 2015 08:50am
First, the players should not be the part of the administration (they can be coaches and selectors). Second, Pakistan needs to go back to basics. Hockey is all about technique and speed (above all technique). We need to stop playing this helter skelter European style. We do not need big fat players, what we need is technique savvy and fast players whether they play defense or offence.
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Jul 05, 2015 09:36am
Why do we always give control of sports boards to ex-players in Pakistan. All sports organizations should be run by properly qualified professionals just like other successfull institutions. Ex-players are our heroes and must be rewarded by assigning training and coaching jobs.
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Jul 05, 2015 10:05am
Its very sad.
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Jul 05, 2015 10:25am
If no action was taken after the World Cup debacle what makes Samiullah think anything will change now. Come to think of it the state of hockey truly reflects the state in which our country is in, blame game and corruption has eaten this country up since the last 30 yrs and it has gotten worse by every passing year.
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Jul 05, 2015 10:25am
sorry, nobody is listening.
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Jul 05, 2015 10:39am
It is very sad that Pak team couldn't even qualify for the Rio Olympics.. Strong Pakistan team in any sport raises the popularity of that sport.
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Jul 05, 2015 10:48am
Sir
How will action by Govt, help raise Hockey Standards? Is not more exposure, matches, prize money, grass level tournaments help? If not this bunch, another bunch will come but if no work done at grass level, can you expect any miracle from a new bunch of faces? Revive Indo-Pak Hockey Series! Call of the Time! Eschew antagonism and support sports!
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Jul 05, 2015 11:29am
He is wrong. It happened with India as well but corporates came in to rescue hockey. Money and help came in and hockey survived. You have to support the game and players instead of pulling them down. Need to revamp the game in Pakistan.
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Jul 05, 2015 11:43am
Its really Sad to see our Hockey Team decline, First I am a fan of Pakistan Hockey, and I love to watch any Pakistan matches live. Our Hockey Team does not have planning how to encounter the opposition. The forwards and the Goolie was not perfect, Players like Rasool, Waqas, Bhutta, Dilber etc were not utilize well in the events. We need young and talented Coaches, Sheikh is a old school and it does not belong to the new Hockey techniques, as the Hockey become so fast. You need to change the tactics of the games in this 4Q. We need to have Coaches, like Charles of Australia, he made his team to win any events they played. We need to have new people in the PHP to run the Hockey Affair in the right direction.
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Jul 05, 2015 12:22pm
who will do the audit??? who can we trust???
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Jul 05, 2015 12:47pm
Believe me no one cure Pakistan hockey ,unless the system is revamped, young are encouraged to play for the fun of it, like it was done before.Dont think about medals etc. for now.
Find a national sponsor; provide open spaces for the youth to play encourage them, the results will come .All country have done this way.
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Jul 05, 2015 01:01pm
Another one asking questions to the Govt. and not doing anything himself.
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Jul 05, 2015 01:12pm
In my view, collectively as a nation, we are short of vision as a result we reacted on failures and not proactively measuring the performance. Someone must be authorized enough to not let that happen. Morever, I feel that a games spirit must be carried forward and shared on a national level thinking. Talent must be raised across the nation.
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Jul 05, 2015 01:44pm
Pak hockey federation management should be prosecuted under law. they wont resign like honorable people..
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Jul 05, 2015 02:57pm
Two basic things required in the team.
1. Funding from the government.
2. European coach.
Asian style hockey days are gone. If want to be in game, have to adopt European techniques. Otherwise, one day, team will have toughest match with LIBYA in the qualifiers.
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Jul 05, 2015 03:20pm
@Junaid Completely agree. Need long term sustainable strategic thinking and planning.
Government need to provide that support for this long term commitment. It starts from school hockey. Merge this with cricket. All schools MUST have an infrastructure of sports specially for hockey and cricket, for both boys and girls. It will also serve to resolve some of our contemporary social issues, related to the current uneasy youth cohort. The education departments should be hold accountable for any neglect. The northern and rural parts of the country be focussed. Yasir Shah in cricket is a model of super hero. We need lots of them in both hockey and cricket.
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Jul 05, 2015 03:49pm
& now France defeated Pak , now at 8th place.
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Jul 05, 2015 03:51pm
Felt sorry for decline state of hockey in Pak. Need complete overhauling and hockey kings like Shabaz Tahir Samiullah Hasan needs 2 take authority n design plans 4 revival. Indian fan of Pak hockey!!
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Jul 05, 2015 04:08pm
Do n't blame only coaches . When a 14th rank (Ireland) beats a 10th rank (Pakistan) , one time power house in the world , blame the team as well.They get depressed after initial set back and then easily give up .
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Jul 05, 2015 05:43pm
@bumpho true, and selecting those proper individuals there has to be a proper mechanism in place, rather than mna mpas show sup and bring incompetent people out of nowhere
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Jul 05, 2015 08:29pm
Listen to players like Samiullah. He has been raising the issue for ten years. The current management needs to resign and people must be selected on merit.
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Jul 05, 2015 09:19pm
The Hockey management should be sent behind the bars instead of accepting their resignations
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Jul 05, 2015 10:13pm
Where is the management's voice on this debacle?
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Jul 05, 2015 11:30pm
I am hockey lover and extremely disappointed with our team performance.One thing is now totally clear that hockey is destroyed by our ex players including so called greats.They all have proved that they are not only incapable of reviving hockey but are also very ordinary human beings who are fighting with each other for petty gains.They all have disappointed the whole nation.
It is high time that government hand over the hockey to professionals ,international coaches , develop domestic structure and financial support the hockey .Talent youngsters should be selected and groomed.
Today where we are in hockey reflects the character , vision of all those associated with it ,particularly the ex Olympians
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