The European nations, known for their supremacy in modern-day field hockey, and Oceania’s Australia, have now been joined by New Zealand at world stage while the Asian region — featuring game’s warhorses like Pakistan and India — lags far behind as the latest rankings announced by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) suggest.

It is high time for the entire Asian region to wake up and chalk out a joint strategy to show its real power in hockey as it faces the combined challenge posed by Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

Germany who successfully defended their Olympic title in the recently-concluded London Games, lead the table, according to the latest FIH rankings.

It is noteworthy that only two Asian countries — Pakistan and South Korea — are included in the top ten rankings, while the remaining eight positions belong to Europe and Oceania (Australia 2nd, New Zealand 6th).

Although the green-shirts finished seventh in London extravaganza, one place above the eighth spot achievement in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, still they dropped one place in latest rankings, from eighth to ninth.

While South Korea are ranked seventh, other prominent hockey-playing Asian countries like India, Malaysia, China and Japan are out of top ten.

There are two main reasons for the European countries’ much better showing in world hockey than their Asian counterparts: solid infrastructure and higher frequency of competitions.

The hockey infrastructure long established in several European countries like Germany, England and the Netherlands is known world over. Moreover, it is significant to note that male and female players of European countries feature in around 50 FIH-approved junior, senior and club contests annually, a comprehensive arrangement which naturally gives more opportunities to their players. The players subsequently maintain very high degree of fitness and mobility on the field.

In comparison, the Asian region appears to be in deep slumber. Except for the Azlan Shah Cup, no other annual tournament is available to the Asian countries. And though the Asian Games and Asia Cup are the other prime competitions of the region, both are held after a long period of four years. Furthermore, the European nations are also not giving priority to the Asian countries in their schedule of activities.

Therefore, in the present circumstances, the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) is duly expected to do persistent efforts to activate its member countries particularly Pakistan and India — Asia’s two erstwhile field hockey giants, and South Korea, China, Malaysia and Japan to enable them to play their due roles in promoting the game in the region.

These six Asian nations should be bound to organise at least three to five tournaments (for men, women and juniors) annually to increase the base of competitions.

Moreover, the AHF should take concrete steps to expand the game’s infrastructure in its needy member countries besides providing them with technical assistance to help them come at par with international standards.

Pakistan, previously regarded as a huge powerhouse not just in the Asian region but in the entire world of hockey, has to bring its house in order at the earliest if its game’s authorities are serious in reviving the pride our former players brought with their majestic stick-work.

Undoubtedly, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) should introduce true professionalism in selecting players, team management and technical staff for international competitions. Needless to say, in doing so the PHF must avoid making shocking-cum-incomprehensible decisions like replacing Dutch coach Michel van den Heuvel with Akhtar Rasool just three months before the Olympics.

PHF president Qasim Zia should take the nation into confidence over the national team’s pathetic show at the Olympics. While doing so, he should also announce a complete strategy which could lead the country to victory in the 2014 World Cup, also the prime target of his management.

Wide-ranging open trials should be held countrywide in order to pick and groom young blood for cut-throat international competitions.

In the meantime, the senior players whose performance remained ordinary in London should also vacate the places for promising youngsters.

Moreover, the government has to play a major part in reviving hockey as without its full assistance promotion of hockey, or any other sport, remains a mere dream.

Pakistan badly needs a sporting culture at educational and club levels, to be inculcated in a professional manner, and for which both government and the respective sports federations should work together.

The row over blue-turf laying (at National Stadium, Lahore) emerging during the months leading to the Games is just one example of pathetic sports management by a national sports federation.

It is a pity that the Punjab government could not provide blue-turf in time to the PHF, the same turf which was used for the first time in an international contest at the Olympics.

If Pakistan had any medal hopes in London, those were from our hockey players.

Still, the country registered token participation in swimming, athletics and shooting on wildcards. However, Anum Banday and Israr Hussain (swimming), Rabia Aashiq and Liaquat Ali (athletics) and Khurram Inam (shooting) all failed to qualify for the finals after crashing out in their heats at London.

The ongoing conflict-like situation between the Pakistan Sports Board and the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) over national sports policy has also been causing harm to the country’s sports, a quagmire which should end forthwith.

In the UK, three sports institutions of the government — UK Sports, English Institute of Sports and Department of Sports — are playing a great role in promoting the standard of sports as their government is taking serious steps to inspire young generations towards sports.

Genuine sports lovers in Pakistan can perhaps only hope — or hope against hope — for this to happen in their country any time soon!

Latest world rankings: 1 Germany, 2 Australia, 3 Netherlands, 4 England, 5 Spain, 6 New Zealand, 7 South Korea, 8 Belgium, 9 Pakistan, 10 Argentina, 11 India, 12 South Africa, 13 Malaysia, 14 Canada, 15 Ireland, 16 Japan, 17 France, 18 China.—Mohammad Yaqoob