AT a time when they should have stepped up, a sense of complacency seemed to have descended on the Pakistan hockey team. A fighting defeat against India in their last round-robin game had raised hopes of another clash between the two arch-rivals in the final of the Asian Champions Trophy — if Pakistan, as expected, had gone past China in their last-four clash. Instead, hosts China flipped the script. Holding the tournament in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia, the Chinese — thumped by Pakistan 5-1 in their round-robin match — channelled the support of a fervent home crowd to stun Pakistan. A 2-0 penalty shootout loss after a 1-1 draw in regulation loss sent Pakistan back to the drawing board. Tahir Zaman’s charges eventually finished third after beating South Korea 5-2 in their final game of the tournament.

It is the loss to China, though, that raises many questions about Pakistan’s position in hockey. Mr Zaman’s men gave India — bronze medallists at the Paris Olympics for which Pakistan failed to qualify — a run for their money in a narrow 2-1 loss that saw them finish second in the round-robin standings. Unbeaten in their opening four matches, it appeared that Mr Zaman was continuing the good work of his predecessor Roelant Oltmans, who quit after the Pakistan Hockey Federation refused to offer him a long-term contract. The loss to China is a dent in what was turning out to be a good tournament for Pakistan under Mr Zaman, who was roped in by the PHF after Mr Oltmans’ departure. Ahead of the Asian Champions Trophy, Mr Zaman had said that Pakistan required time to return to its former standing, stressing the need for better infrastructure, players’ welfare, and high-performance centres. He spoke about the fact that the PHF and government understood that it was the need of the time. But the question is: when will concerted efforts be made to ensure that all requirements are met?

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2024