THE International Hockey Federation (FIH) and the hockey playing nations commemorates four decades of Champions Trophy 1978-2018 when the Netherlands play host to the 37th and last edition at Breda from June 23 to July 1.

It is, unfortunate, that the FIH had decided to do away with one of the toughest events of the calendar and the coming competition marks the end of a glorious era.

A brainchild of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) president, the late retired Air Marshal Nur Khan, it was launched on the grassy field at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium in 1978.

“Nur Khan had floated the idea during the FIH meeting at the Buenos Aires World Cup and donated the trophy,” Abdul Waheed Khan, the 1960 Rome Olympics hero, who also managed the inaugural Champions Trophy gold medal-winning Pakistan team told Dawn.

Pakistan had been able to win the Champions Trophy thrice in 1978, 1980 and 1994, all at home, besides securing seven silver and as many bronze medals.

Keeping in view its immense contribution to the game, the 13th ranked Pakistan have been awarded special entry in the last event by the FIH. The other five nations who will compete for honours includes top-ranked Australia, Olympic cham­pions and second-ranked Argentina, Olympic silver medallists and third-ranked Belgium, hosts and fourth-ran­ked Holland and sixth-ranked India, the Asian champions.

This correspondent is a witness to the laying of the country’s first astro turf by Dutch experts at the formerly Hockey Club of Pakistan in 1979 to host the second Champions Trophy.

The then FIH president Rene Frank and the secretary Etienne Glichitch, who later succeeded Frank, had specially come to Pakistan to witness the second Champions Trophy.

National Carrier PIA used to be the sponsor whenever the Champions Trophy took place in Pakistan.

Presently, the greenshirts are going through rebuilding process and no miracles are expected from them.

Champions Trophy record — 1978-2016

Year Venue Gold Silver Bronze

1978 Lahore Pakistan Australia Great Britain

1980 Karachi Pakistan Germany Australia

1981 Karachi Netherlands Australia Germany

1982 Amstelveen Netherlands Australia India

1983 Karachi Australia Pakistan Germany

1984 Karachi Australia Pakistan Great Britain

1985 Perth Australia Great Britain Germany

1986 Karachi Germany Australia Pakistan

1987 Amstelveen Germany Netherlands Australia

1988 Lahore Germany Pakistan Australia

1989 Berlin Australia Netherlands Germany

1990 Melbourne Australia Netherlands Germany

1991 Berlin Germany Pakistan Netherlands

1992 Karachi Germany Australia Pakistan

1993 Kuala Lumpur Australia Germany Netherlands

1994 Lahore Pakistan Germany Netherlands

1995 Berlin Germany Australia Pakistan

1996 Madras Netherlands Pakistan Germany

1997 Adelaide Germany Australia Spain

1998 Lahore Netherlands Pakistan Australia

1999 Brisbane Australia South Korea Netherlands

2000 Amstelveen Netherlands Germany South Korea

2001 Rotterdam Germany Australia Netherlands

2002 Cologne Netherlands Germany Pakistan

2003 Amstelveen Netherlands Australia Pakistan

2004 Lahore Spain Netherlands Pakistan

2005 Chennai Australia Netherlands Spain

2006 Terrassa Netherlands Germany Spain

2007 Kuala Lumpur Germany Australia Netherlands

2008 Rotterdam Australia Spain Argentina

2009 Melbourne Australia Germany South Korea

2010 M’gladbach Australia England Netherlands

2011 Auckland Australia Spain Netherlands

2012 Melbourne Australia Netherlands Pakistan

2014 Bhubaneswar Germany Pakistan Australia

2016 London Australia India Germany

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2018

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