SUCH has been Pakistan’s downfall in hockey that when they went to the Junior World Cup, there were few expectations. Even progressing beyond the pool stage seemed a tall order. When they opened with a 3-3 draw against the Netherlands, even coach Roelant Oltmans said it was an unexpected result. Thanks to a 4-0 win over New Zealand and a crucial 1-1 draw against Belgium, they made it to the last eight where they went down 4-2 to finalists Spain. That performance drew praise from Spain’s coach and players; some more came from Australia, who beat Pakistan 7-5 in the fifth to eighth place classification match. Pakistan ended the tournament in eighth place after losing 6-3 to Argentina in the seventh place playoff. But there was a feeling that Pakistan could have done even better, especially with eight players who have senior team experience. Coach Oltmans regretted that defensive indiscipline as well as the injury-enforced loss of first-choice goalkeeper Ali Raza had cost his side. It is a fair assessment. considering Pakistan were leading Spain 1-0 halfway through their quarter-final. Against Australia, they showed some fighting spirit to score three goals after falling behind 7-2. In those fleeting moments, it seemed Pakistan’s glory days had been revived.

The eventual results might not have been good but at least there was some promise. The fact that Pakistan can mix with the world’s best is itself heartening. The fact that they were not completely bulldozed must be acknowledged. The focus should now be on bridging the gap and translating this at the senior level. Coach Oltmans admitted his players are a work in progress, that their fitness levels and playing sense need improvement. The Pakistan Hockey Federation needs to formalise a plan, ensuring action on this front — and fast, because the gulf continues to widen and may become insurmountable by the time the players reach senior levels. The time to act is now.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2023