LAHORE: Former Pakistan captain Manzoor Junior has expressed his disappointment over poor performance of the national team in the all-important final against arch-rivals India during the Asian Games. Pakistan lost to India 4-2 on penalty-shootout.

The former captain said that there were some question marks over team performance which must be addressed by the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PAF) and the team management.

“The way the Indian team entered the field it was apparent from their body language that they were confident despite losing pool match to Pakistan,” Manzoor said while talking to Dawn.

Pakistan as the defending champions not only lost the Asian title but also an opportunity to directly qualify for the 2016 Rio Games. Now Pakistan have to play qualifying round for the next Olympics.

“Pakistan should have won the final as it was also important to wash out all the previous bad performances of the national team particularly their failure to qualify for the World Cup and their poor show in the London Games,” Manzoor commented.

“Furthermore, a victory in the Asian Games could have been proved as a tonic for reviving hockey in Pakistan,” remarked the former Olympian who held chief selector Islahuddin, head coach Shahnaz Sheikh, PHF president Akhtar Rasool and secretary Rana Mujahid responsible for the Asiad loss and subsequent possible failure to qualify for the next Olympics.

“Both Akhtar and Rana Mujahid have played their roles in different capacities in the PHF for the last eight years and I think the future of Pakistan hockey seems to be more bleak and now it would be just a dream for us to even play in the mega events like World Cup and Olympics,” Manzoor maintained.

He further said that chief selector and head coach took a wrong step to retain old boys like Shakeel Abbasi, Mohammad Imran and Waqas besides many others who he said had repeatedly failed in many assignments.

Asked the national team had a big problem of not being able to play international series before the Asian Games, Manzoor said after losing a place in the World Cup, the Asian Games was the next big target for the PHF two years back but due to ill planning the PHF failed to arrange any series.

Asked the government was also not helping the PHF since the former is not providing sufficient funds to it to prepare the national team, Manzoor said what they did with hefty funds they received during the tenure of Qasim Zia.

Manzoor said that after Islah and Shahnaz joined the PHF along with other Olympians, big claims were made that masterminds had come into action and now the hockey would be revived but now future of hockey seemed darker.

The former captain said all credit went to Indian coach and team management for preparing different game plan for the final, adding that there were only two tough matches in semi-final and final during the Asian Games.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2014