KARACHI, March 3: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has been involved in all kinds of time wasting exercises except building the base — the Under-16 squad.

The present PHF hierarchy, which took over the reins on July 5, 2000, remained busy to gain a quick success by focussing on the seniors, while an Under-16 is yet to be formed.

All the PHF could do was to announce the team officials for the Under-16 when it unveiled its ‘ambitious’ plans after national federation’s restructuring more than two years ago.

It only proved a lip-service of the PHF as not even a pool of youngsters was created what to talk about forming a full- fledged Under-16 squad.

Initially, Mansoor Ahmad and Tahir Zaman were appointed coaches for the Under-16s. Mansoor was replaced by Qamar Ibraheem when the former was convicted in a theft case.

But the PHF had seniors as their priority not the Under-16 squad. What PHF then did showed lack of professionalism when Tahir was given the charge of the senior side which went through the most humiliating period in the history last year.

Tahir, instead of being sacked after the pathetic showing at the Commonwealth Games, Champions Trophy, and Asian Games, was demoted and now assists new coach Shahnaz Sheikh.

The PHF’s slackness took its toll with Pakistan now unable to participate in this month’s seven-nation Under-16 Asian contest in Dhaka as the Under-16 squad does not exist.

How eager other hockey-playing countries are in building a strong foundation could be judged by the Project Squad — a programme initiated by Malaysia whose Under-16 side took part in an Under-19 international event in Kuala Lumpur recently.

Malaysia had announced to send an experimental side to Dhaka, comprising players in the Under-15 age-group. The players who featured in Malaysia Junior Hockey League (MJHL) were not selected as the dates of the competition were clashing with MJHL.

The much-publicised ‘think tank’ — the national hockey selection committee — has also being assigned to explore talent at the grassroots level. But the think tank must be thinking about everything except possibilities of exploring the talent from schools, colleges, and clubs.

PHF woke up from deep slumber to form the Under-19 side last September after wasting precious two and half years, concentrating on an elusive victory by the seniors.

To rub salt to the wounds, the secretary of the PHF, Brig Musarrat Ullah Khan, has repeatedly cited lack of promotion of the game at the grassroots level in the past as one of the reasons for decline of the sport in the country.

It is only the youngsters from the junior side who showed promise during the recently-concluded 50th national championship in Karachi, while the ‘veterans’ were busy in misconduct and dissent.

The present PHF setup, which will complete three years of rule in July, has produced more so-called ‘coaches’ than the players. Could the PHF managers tell, what purpose do the coaches serve when they are no young players around to be coached?