When Pakistan came into being, only a handful of players were selected to play hockey for the country. In the beginning they faced difficulties but then they gradually improved the level of their performance.

And in 1960 they a won gold medal at the Olympics. It was the first major victory for the country which boosted the morale of the players.

Then in the late '70s, legendary players like Samiullah and Hasan Sardar joined the team. In 1984, our hockey players played with enthusiasm and won the World Cup. In those days Pakistan hockey used to rule the world. This continued till 1994. After that the Pakistani hockey team did not win any major tournament owing to politics and in-fighting amongst players. It's such a sad story. I sincerely hope that things will improve and Pakistan hockey will again shine on the global stage.

M. UMER MIRZA
Karachi