LAHORE, March 20 Captain of the Los Angeles Olympics victorious Pakistan hockey team, Manzoor Junior, has blamed the former Olympians associated with the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) and the game for the past 26 years for the overall decline of hockey in the country today.

“It is unfortunate that those Olympians who served the PHF and team management in different capacities for such a long time are now coming up with all these negative statements after Pakistan's dismal 12th place in the World Cup. It is a fact that they are the ones responsible for the present hockey crisis,” he said while addressing a press conference here on Saturday.

Manzoor was of the view that the Olympians during their 26-year rule did not contribute to the development of hockey at the grassroots level while adopting short-term measures that resulted in the overall destruction of the game.

“The present hockey crisis is the outcome of the over two-decade absence of hockey activities at the early level, which was badly ignored for the youth to lose interest in hockey, our national sport,” he asserted.

“I don't believe in criticism for the sake of criticism. They [former Olympians] should rather come forward with useful suggestions to lend support to the PHF in this time of crisis,” he said.

The former player termed Pakistans defeat in the Cup as the darkest chapter of Pakistan hockey, saying that the bad performance has shocked everyone. “But instead of keeping the PHF under fire through this negative propaganda campaign, they should concentrate of making collective efforts for the revival of the game.”

Manzoor Jr proposed several changes in the PHF set up, saying that it was unfair to demand the sacking of Secretary Asif Bajwa as any such action will not really be serving the cause of hockey.

“Can someone guarantee that the national team will start winning after removing Bajwa,” he questioned.

On the subject of the PHF now looking to hire a foreign coach he said “We have a number of talented former players with the abilities to deliver in the coaching department.

“If offered, I will gladly accept the position of team coach. I am even ready to work as an academy coach as I am not greedy for important positions within the PHF setup,” said the former Olympian.

He said that Shahbaz Sr, Islahuddin and the other Olympians who have kept the PHF under pressure through their persistent criticism have failed to deliver whenever they were assigned a role in the PHF or the team management.

“It is in the larger interest of hockey to keep the negative elements away from the federation and the team management,” he said.

Saying so, he also urged the PHF to expand the span of hockey activities at the grassroots level and the setting up of more hockey academies across the country for the grooming of talent at the early level.

“We have to concentrate on grooming junior U-12 and U-14 players if we want to bail ourselves out from the present hockey crisis,” he concluded.—APP