FOLLOWING the debacle of Athens 2004, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) is scrambling to make amends in the team management. Former Olympians Samiullah has already been appointed the team manger while Asif Bajwa has replaced Tahir Zaman. But if there is already a coach in the team, then what is the need for a team manager? Just to look after the players’ passports and daily wages would be a great waste of talent for the famed Flying Horse.
Previously, the team manager used to be involved in the team selection. In essence, he used to be the team’s chief coach. Pakistan has enjoyed a pedigree of great players like Shahnaz Sheikh, Hanif Khan, Manzoor ul Hasan and Khalid Mahmood who have all performed well as coaches of the national squad.
During their tenures, Pakistan enjoyed satisfactory results, especially in crunch matches. But that wasn’t the case at Athens and PHF has a lot fo work to do before things can be set right. For starters, the hockey federation should have a clear policy on all future programmes. All matters should run on permanent basis, not on adhocism. When the PHF appointed Roelant Oltmans in October last year, he was selected from a list of several known names. He was also, unlike the previous coaches, assured of job security and a free hand to bring out the best among the players. PHF not only gave the team Oltmans wanted, but also the support staff he needed. And yet the team couldn’t deliver.
Today, Pakistan hockey is facing a great dearth of talent and every passing year it’s getting worse. To check the rot, PHF should think seriously in the long run and organize talent hunts all over the country. Academies should be set-up throughout the country and a professional hockey league, like those in Europe should be introduced. I hope the Indians and the South Koreans too follow suit. In general, Asia’s hockey giants must make a collective effort to overcome their persistent Olympic decline before Beijing 2008.
Later this month, Pakistan and India will square off against each other in a much awaited hockey series. But I think Pakistan should play as much as possible, against European countries and Australia. This will invariably help us improve the quality of our national sport.
India and Pakistan should also work towards modernizing their style of hockey, as playing with just zeal and spirit has not helped them get anywhere. At the same time, Pakistan and India should revert to their Asian style of hockey, in which we used to attack with five forwards and two half-backs.
Pakistan’s next real test will be in December in Lahore, when as the only Asian representatives, we square off against the Europeans and Australia in the Champions Trophy.
In the end, the world’s oldest Olympic medal winner, Pakistan’s Feroze Khan, recently celebrated his 100th birthday. The sportsman too was of the opinion it was only discipline that has helped him lived longer. “I am proud to be 100 and am going great. This is ample proof of the fact that discipline and individuals with sporting habits can live longer,” he said.
Feroze won a field hockey gold medal for British India in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. Born in a small village, Basti Danishmandan, near Jullundur, on September 9, 1904, Khan was a contemporary of the Indian hockey great Dhyan Chand and they played together in the 1928 Olympic Games.
FOLLOWING the debacle of Athens 2004, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) is scrambling to make amends in the team management. Former Olympians Samiullah has already been appointed the team manger while Asif Bajwa has replaced Tahir Zaman. But if there is already a coach in the team, then what is the need for a team manager? Just to look after the players’ passports and daily wages would be a great waste of talent for the famed Flying Horse.
