SINCE Pakistan and India aren’t anymore the world hockey powers, the recent victory in the of our-nation hockey tournament in Lahore was blown out of proportion. Our victory hungry administrators really made it look like we had won the World Cup!.
Pakistan beating India or losing to it does not mean that our competitive standard has improved to such a level that we will win the eighth Junior (Under-21) World Cup, scheduled to take place in June-July in Rotterdam. Certainly, the victory over India makes the countrymen feel happy and so is the case with Indians who also have similar feelings after beating Pakistan. National prestige is more at stake, than the actual result as the public from both the countries dislike defeat, irrespective of the fact that they have been left far behind in technical skills by the leading European countries.
So the outcome of the matches between Pakistan and India are of little importance and significance for European hockey nations who are the dominant force both at senior and junior levels of international hockey .
Pakistan secured a 2-0 victory over India in the final and it was the second defeat of the reigning Junior World Champions who also lost the league match by 0-3. South Africa beat Japan by 4-2 in the play-off to get the third place.
According to press reports, Rs1.7 million was awarded to the Pakistan team by sponsors and the Pakistan Hockey Federation for winning a tournament which many impartial observers say was of little value and importance in the absence of European teams. Holding of the four-nation tournament was ill-advised without participation of at least two European countries. Even reigning world junior champions, India was without the services of six of the frontline players and the final was marred by controversial decisions of the foreign umpires, which further devalued the tournament.
It would have been more beneficial for holding of an eight-match series between the juniors and seniors teams instead of wasting money on the four-nation contest. However, the Pakistan team, winners of the 1979 inaugural Junior World Cup, will face a real task when it will be competing in the six-nation tournament, in Malaysia, that commences on March 27. Other competing nations in the tournament are Germany, the four-time record holders of the junior cup, England, South Korea, India and hosts Malaysia.
Led by Athens Olympian, Shakeel Abbasi, the Pakistan team has been trained and coached by former Olympians who are totally against the hiring of internationally renowned foreign coaches. Currently Tahir Zaman is the chief coach of the team which will be facing its first real test in what is expected to be a tough competition.
Hot weather conditions and humidity in Kuala Lumpur will be having its own affect on the performance of the German and English teams as they are not used to it. The Asians, including Pakistan, will certainly enjoy an advantage under such playing conditions but how they fare will be watched with added interest.
The nation is looking forward with great hope that Pakistan will return victorious from Kuala Lumpur. The KL victory would certainly give a great moral boost to Pakistan for overcoming the challenge awaiting it in the 16-nation junior tournament at Rotterdam.
In the past four years, the PHF has spent a considerable amount of money on the team. The juniors toured Europe and Cairo in 2003 and took part in competitions there as part of the buildup. Hopefully, all this effort will pay off and we can once again bring back the title we last won more than two decades ago.
SINCE Pakistan and India aren’t anymore the world hockey powers, the recent victory in the of our-nation hockey tournament in Lahore was blown out of proportion. Our victory hungry administrators really made it look like we had won the World Cup!.
