THE Junior string recently returned empty-handed from its tour, adding to the worries of hockey-lovers in the country. The senior team has been for years what it is, and people were hoping that things would improve with the infusion of new blood and fresh legs. But if the recent performance of the Junior string is anything to go by, we are unfortunately not going to have in a hurry any change in our fortunes. However, investing in the Juniors is the only way ahead, and I will sincerely advise all concerned not to shelve the process that has been initiated after a waste of considerable time.
It is understandable that the tour was something new for the Juniors, as they had no prior exposure to an international environment, and that no one was hoping that the team would return wrapped in glory, but, then, no one was hoping that the team would return in the manner it actually did, losing out to teams like Egypt and France.
The worst thing about the team’s performance, as I see it, was its inability to score goals during the tournament. Come to think of it, hockey is meaningless without goals. The whole idea of the game is to score goals and not to let the rivals do that. The team failed on both counts, as it did not score goals, and failed to stop the rivals from scoring goals against us. In any case, if you don’t score goals, the best you can hope for is a drawn game. But there is no way you could win a game without scoring goals. That is a very simple equation in the game, as you can see, and doesn’t need a genius to work it out.
A this point in time, one can only hope that the lads would have learnt a lesson from this experience, and would perform better in the future. Having said that, it must be remembered that while no one can contest the fact that international exposure is a great learning tool, whatever be the game, it can do little on its own. It has to be backed by rigorous training at home coupled with physical fitness regime and specific coaching drills. And while all this is necessary and important, it is vital to do it consistently and sustain the momentum over a period of time, dotted by competitive games at home and abroad.
Such a momentum can only be created if the relevant authorities show the willingness and the commitment to reach out to the grassroots level, promote the game there, keep a watchful eye on the activity, spot the talent, groom it through the various tiers, like the Under-15, the Under-19, Pakistan Juniors, and finally to the national side. International exposure, ideally speaking, should begin at the Under-19 level, which would ensure that by the time a lad gets his national colour, he would have a professional mix of skill, stamina and exposure in the required proportions.
This is not something easy to achieve. It will take a lot of commitment on the part of those concerned. It is not a short-cut. It is not a quick-fix solution. But, to me, that is the only way to move forward with any realistic hope of bringing Pakistan back to somewhere close to its past glory. Working on the Senior string alone may fetch us a few bronze medals here and there, but it is not going to bring us any gold. We need to avoid the temptation of quick-fixing the cracks on the walls in order for them to look neat and clean. It is time to go deep down and work on the foundations.
THE Junior string recently returned empty-handed from its tour, adding to the worries of hockey-lovers in the country. The senior team has been for years what it is, and people were hoping that things would improve with the infusion of new blood and fresh legs. But if the recent performance of the Junior string is anything to go by, we are unfortunately not going to have in a hurry any change in our fortunes. However, investing in the Juniors is the only way ahead, and I will sincerely advise all concerned not to shelve the process that has been initiated after a waste of considerable time.
