MUSCAT: The Pakistan players sank to the turf at the final whistle. Some had their heads in their hands, some fell to their knees, some squatted down on their haunches wondering what could’ve been. For a third straight Olympics, the three-time former champions would be missing in action.

Pakistan were eight minutes away from booking a berth at this year’s Paris Games, leading New Zealand 2-1 in their third-place playoff of the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers at the Oman Hockey Stadium on Sunday. But then, they collapsed as New Zealand scored twice in the space of six minutes to crush Pakistan’s hopes and book their ticket to the Olympics instead.

The top-three finishers at the tournament were guaranteed berths at the Paris Olympics and after Pakistan lost the semi-final to Germany on Saturday, this was their last chance to end a run which has seen them miss out on the 2016 and 2020 Games in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo respectively.

The team had arrived in Oman after a change at the helm of the Pakistan Hockey Federation, which has lurched from one crisis to another in the last year. Captain Ammad Butt laid it bare at the end of the game.

“People want us to win but they don’t know what players have to deal with on a daily basis,” he said. “I will never cry in front of everyone and talk about the injustice to hockey players in Pakistan, but we are heartbroken.”

Shahnaz Sheikh’s men, however, had defied the odds and after goalkeeper Abdullah Khan had kept New Zealand out with a string of saves in the first quarter, Pakistan took the lead in the 18th minute; Abu Bakar Mahmood finding the perfect connection to find the cage off a penalty corner.

The two sides then traded goals in the space of 60 seconds, five minutes later. First, New Zealand’s Scott Boyde’s was the quickest to react as he tucked in after Abdullah had saved a penalty corner. Immediately at the other end, Pakistan won a penalty stroke after a shot was handled on the line. Abu Bakar’s shot gave New Zealand keeper Leon Hayward no chance.

Pakistan defended for their lives after that, looking for opportunities on the counterattack. They seemed to be doing enough until the 52nd minute when New Zealand levelled. A drive from the right evaded several Pakistan defenders and stopped on the sti­ck of Hugo Inglis, who turned it in.

The goal revived New Zealand and they went in search of the winner, which they got two minutes from time with Boyde applying a first-time finish to another drive from the right.

Pakistan poured forward to level the match and had calls for a penalty corner turned down late on. This wasn’t to be their night. Their agonising wait to reach the Olympics will continue for another four years.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2024