I WONDER what will be the final fate of efforts being made by Pakistan Hockey Federation to bring back Sohail Abbas and Mohammad Waseem into the national fold, but the effort itself is commendable. After all, it was not the PHF which sent the two players packing; it was very much their own decision. But the PHF wants to have them back in national interest, and it is laudable that the national body has set aside personal egos that are generally involved in such affairs.
On the part of the players, I am not too sure what it is exactly that they are trying to achieve with their resignations. There is little doubt that the team needs them in the face of severe shortage of quality players available for selection. That the team has been performing as a competitive unit on the international stage more or less on the back of penalty corner conversions by Sohail is also not contested by anyone. He has not only got due credit for it, but also an award worth Rs2 million by President Pervez Musharraf for his achievements.
Also beyond doubt is the fact that both Sohail and Waseem are young enough and fit enough to play the game at the highest level for another couple of years. They are carrying no injuries, and have yet to show any sign of fatigue or burnout. After all, they are playing league hockey abroad, which on occasions calls for even more fitness than is the case with most Pakistani outfits.
The only thing that comes to mind is the preference in the minds of the two players of league hockey over national duty. If so, it is a pity, for nothing comes — or nothing should come — before national honour and duty. The players must not forget that whatever contracts they have in hand are only because of their association with Pakistan hockey. There can be little doubt about that. If they are known around the world, it is only because of the exposure that they have enjoyed by being part of the national team.
I have struggled to make sense of the case made out by the two players who have been on record saying they have hung up their boots in order to clear space for the juniors, and that they would still be playing if the PHF agrees to limit their participation to major events. First, there are not many juniors knocking at the door, especially for the two positions in contention, and, second, every national assignment is considered a major assignment. It is no joke wearing the national colours. It has never been.
Teams like Germany, Holland and Australia do send their young players to events like the Azlan Shah Cup, but that is because they can afford to do that in view of the huge manpower resources at their disposal. It makes sense for them to rest their seniors and give exposure to the youngsters. In our case, the theory doesn’t work simply because we do not have enough resources. The contention by the two players, in practical terms, simply means they want more time to spend on the league circuit.
I know that life in sports is always unpredictable. All it takes to bring down the curtain on a career is one smashup on the field, one injury during training, one mishap during warmup. It is so fragile, and the uncertainty often makes people think about their future and the future of their families. This is natural, and one has to do something about it, but not at the cost of national duty.
This brings us to the need for injecting money into the game. The new PHF boss, Tariq Kirmani, I believe is working to that end, and once sponsorship starts flowing in, a lot of problems would stand resolved. President Pervez Musharraf, on his part, has shown keen interest in sports during his tenure. Apart from his reward for Sohail Abbas, he has also gone out of the way to acknowledge and honour the exploits of Pakistan cricket team during the recent tour to India. I hope he will also show personal interest in the matter which, after all, is an issue of national interest.
I WONDER what will be the final fate of efforts being made by Pakistan Hockey Federation to bring back Sohail Abbas and Mohammad Waseem into the national fold, but the effort itself is commendable. After all, it was not the PHF which sent the two players packing; it was very much their own decision. But the PHF wants to have them back in national interest, and it is laudable that the national body has set aside personal egos that are generally involved in such affairs.
