Scrapping Champions Trophy akin to wiping out Pakistan’s legacy: Islahuddin
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The Federation of International Hockey (FIH) has come under heavy criticism by former Pakistan skipper Islahuddin after the game's governing body scrapped the Champions Trophy from the calendar.
The FIH has recently announced that a new portfolio of events will be launched in 2019 which will completely change the landscape of international hockey.
The plan also includes scrapping of the Champions Trophy which, according to the FIH plans, will be held for the last time in 2018 at Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Islahuddin, who led Pakistan to glory in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 1978, criticised the FIH for putting to end the event of which the basis was laid by Pakistan.
“The Champions Trophy is close to the heart of Pakistan hockey, the fans and the players,” Islahuddin told Dawn in an interview.
“Scrapping Champions Trophy is akin to wiping away Pakistan's legacy,” he added.
The Champions Trophy’s first edition in 1978 was hosted by Pakistan amid FIH’s financial crisis and the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) managed to put up a successful event on its own.
Islah, 68, expressed suspicion over PHF’s lack of knowledge about the decision being taken by the FIH.
“Even if they didn’t know earlier that such decision was coming, they do know now,” said the former right-winger.
“The PHF should record a strong protest and work hard to get this decision reversed.”
The PHF on Wednesday expressed disappointment at the FIH's decision.
“In light of the recent decision of the FIH, it is a matter of immense disappointment and dismay for the PHF to learn that the FIH has decided to eliminate the ever-exciting Champions Trophy from its yearly calendar all of a sudden without any prior consultation with the PHF whatsoever,” read a press-release issued by the PHF.
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Comments (35) Closed
Apr 21, 2016 07:28pm
PHF should record its protest with FIH; however, legacy can be re-written if we improve our game. Glory can never be achieved on the basis of golden past, it can only be achieved with consistent hard work and performance.
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Apr 21, 2016 07:29pm
You're concerned about champions trophey when hockey itself is being wiped out of Pakistan's legacy!
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Apr 21, 2016 07:36pm
Maybe a new format will garner greater potential for profits leading to players adopting hockey as opposed to other options. Just like 20/20 there are time to adapt and evolve or face the danger of going extinct.
@UnshacklePak
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Apr 21, 2016 07:53pm
Look at the standard of our team as compared in the Islah's era. I saw the match at Hockey Stadium, Karachi where the IHF President described our players as 11 artist of the game of Hockey.
save hockey by taking the inter school and inter collegiate tournament. Focus on FATA we will get good players.
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Apr 21, 2016 07:54pm
Hockey has been dead in Pakistan for more than 20 years
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Apr 21, 2016 08:08pm
It has to go away the day India wins it...simple winner keeps it...
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Apr 21, 2016 08:24pm
Sir
In order to end the dominance of Pakistan and India in international hockey , the Europeans laid a master plan by bringing astro turf to replace natural grass and changing the rules around that changed the interface of hockey from a skilful game to a more mechanical one.
This is the completion stage of that master plan to end the legacy of Pakistan and India.
At this stage the Indian hockey federation should bring back the hockey premier league on nature grass to see where the Europeans stand!!!
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Apr 21, 2016 08:36pm
You cannot gloat over leftover legacies at present.The dismal performance and below par team cannot sustain any thing you have achieved.IHF have better ideas for the future and the only option is to join the majority to make a difference.Who knows your fortune may change with the new sets of tournaments, laws,formats?
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Apr 21, 2016 08:49pm
Cricket killed hockey in Pakistan. Its as simple as that. The charisma of Imran Khan in the 70s till the early 90s, and then the two Ws was what the sponsors wanted. Hockey didn't have any stars.
The younger generation gravitated towards cricket. PHF doesnt deserve any blame. The people of Pakistan, just stopped watching hockey.
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Apr 21, 2016 08:55pm
PHF should take the ownership of the Champions Trophy and should sponsor it!
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Apr 21, 2016 09:05pm
Exactly, we need to stop living in the past and build our legacy on new achievements.
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Apr 21, 2016 09:06pm
Build the legacy. Don't live by it
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Apr 21, 2016 09:14pm
@D_H : I totally disagree with you, corruption killed Hockey in Pakistan just like it is killing Cricket in Pakistan. Just like corruption is killing the economy of Pakistan, just like it is killing common man in this country every day.
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Apr 21, 2016 09:17pm
@Umar Khitab : This is the mentality we need go beyond my friend. As long as we have this mentality we are not going anywhere. How about create a our metrics that helps us judge ourselves and improve our condition.
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Apr 21, 2016 09:20pm
Our love with past has held us back from moving forward. The hockey is another example.
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Apr 21, 2016 09:21pm
@syed wasim haider Agrred
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Apr 21, 2016 09:38pm
@concerned citizen
How many of us know the name of all the players in our national hockey side? Perhaps none who are commenting here. We can name at least 20-30 current cricket players.
With this lack of interest from the masses, we can't expect PHF to generate any revenue. With the passage of time, hockey in Pakistan will die.
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Apr 21, 2016 09:58pm
Indians' propaganda against Pakistan continues. Islahuddin speaking the truth.
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Apr 21, 2016 10:21pm
PHF should be worried about getting back their ranking in the world of Hockey first. This is all due to lost ranking and India's anti Pakistan stance everywhere. FIH gets heavy funding from India therefore they will talk Indian language now.
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Apr 21, 2016 10:33pm
@wiserneighbour I think we do have the right to be proud of our history of Hockey. India and Pakistan were the 2 top class teams in the world. Europeans got together to sabotage that glory and changed the rules of classic hockey. They used money and poor Inda and Pak relations to change the rules around.
Pak and India could not comprehend the new way of playing hockey, and still struggling with it.
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Apr 21, 2016 10:47pm
Soon Hockey will be the white men game, As white men has found Hockey is most amazing and beautiful even much beautiful game than to football. Pak need to snatch Hockey supremacy from Europe. Europe want to rule on Hockey as they are doing with Football, Indeed White man want Hockey as there pride game as its most powerful game on earth
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Apr 21, 2016 10:51pm
I think south Asian nations should work together to revive Grass Hockey. They should arrange their own events which should be played on natural grass. Synthetic Turf is not good for player's joints and not good for environment. I think grass hockey might get popular once again even in western countries as well.
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Apr 21, 2016 11:09pm
In hockey our so called legacy has been wiped out by the same people who built it.
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Apr 21, 2016 11:51pm
Wait ...legacy of Pakistan and India was taken away when the FIH took out the grass fields. What we know as field hockey today has little in common with what was played till the lat 80's.
Wonder how Pakistan and India was duped in taken on the Astro Turf when the countries as the time couldn't even afford the stupid thing. Not to mention, the special cleats and balls that a player should be able to afford in order to play on turf. I remember playing Karachi national stadium.
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Apr 22, 2016 01:29am
Bunch of losers
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Apr 22, 2016 01:51am
I guess rather than protesting over something that we may not even have a say, we should try to find out the cause of decline of hockey. Much is needed to make it a popular game again. Cricket seems to have driven hockey out, unfortunately.
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Apr 22, 2016 01:56am
The best thing Asian teams should do is to start playing grass field. The real art is displayed on grass. With advent of AstroTurf the field hockey is not the game it was once. Astro turf hockey is all together a different sport entity.
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Apr 22, 2016 03:32am
Tennis is played on various surfaces. Can Pakistan work on revival of traditional hockey on grass.
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Apr 22, 2016 04:33am
Pakistan needs to win it in 2018 one last time for the nation. That would be the ultimate tribute to the game of hockey and Pakistan.
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Apr 22, 2016 06:51am
Oh brothers from across the borders, We taught the world how to play hockey now they are determining our future! this is unacceptable! Lets bring our old glory back!
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Apr 22, 2016 08:07am
@Raza : You are completely wrong. Grass surface makes the ball roll unpredictably very slow and it does not remain a sport. Astro turf makes the game fast and tests the athletic skills of the players. Asians are just giving excuses. If we cannot compete then quit.
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Apr 22, 2016 08:24pm
He is 100 percent right. However, in the "land of the pure" where every field including the field of field hockey is based on politics and favoritism, who cares?
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Apr 23, 2016 06:07pm
We need to live in present. Yes we won champions trophy a few times but what is happening now? Hockey team is as good as non existent. Lose every tournament and PHF makes promises of improvements. Past is past with some glories but we need to live in present and work to achieve glories in the future.
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Apr 23, 2016 07:02pm
@Hyder right on sir. Skill of controlling ball and dribbling is lost, when the speed of the ball on the track almost double! As an ameteur player in my school days, I found the real difference, when had a chance to play one or twice on newly laid Astro turf in Karachi hockey club.
Let's start playing on grass again and bring the charm of hockey back. More Asian tournaments on grass is needed to revive it. Just as you suggested.
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Apr 24, 2016 11:50am
The Field Hockey was never a major sports ,since moving from Natural
to artificial turf. Due snow and rainy season polyester turf are used in Europe's weather just to facilitate sports activities for children all year around, Sub continent weather does not require and players will never be use to play on artificial grass.
Field Hockey is not their major sports, But it is the one of the two most popular games
in Pakistan and India. It should be played on their turf and not the artificial.
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