The road to Abdul Sattar Edhi Hockey Stadium isn’t the same anymore. In the many years of international isolation, the area has changed. The stadium, previously known as the Hockey Club of Pakistan, is now nestled inside a high-security military area. But unlike the security that it is surrounded by, the Abdul Sattar Edhi Hockey Stadium is a picture of insecurity and apathy.

‘Heading towards revival of hockey, the national game,’ reads the banner with a picture of the president of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Brig (retd) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar and Secretary Shahbaz Sr hanging over the way to the ground.

But no one seemed to be heading anywhere in the absence of the president. A few days before the two exhibition matches to be played between the World-XI and Pakistan-XI, a press conference had been organised at the Abdul Sattar Edhi Hockey Stadium for hockey officials to share details about the event.

Despite the noble intentions of international legends visiting Pakistan for the revival of hockey, the national game returned to a lukewarm response

The presser should have given a hint about what was to follow: it was after 4pm, the press conference was delayed by several hours, and everyone was made to wait because Khokhar Sahab was “on his way.” It wasn’t as if this was an ordinary presser; the international stars of yesteryear, who had opened their hearts to Pakistan, offering whatever help or assistance they could provide within their means, were already all there. They were quickly ushered inside one of the bigger offices as the delay went on and on.

Pakistan’s hockey legends were also there but no president!

When he finally arrived, there was the usual pushing and shoving by his staff. The president had done his homework this time. When asked again the questions put to him by the media a day earlier, about his choice of local players for hockey’s first Hall of Fame, ignoring the gold medallists of the 1960 Rome Olympics, he said that they wanted to start out by honouring players whose names were still fresh in the minds of the people. In other words, the older generation of players such as Abdul Hameed, Munir Dar and Naseer Bunda, were not even worth the effort of remembering.

Khokhar is also being accused of nepotism as three of the Pakistani players who were being honoured happened to be PHF Secretary Shahbaz Senior, Chief Selector Islahuddin Siddiqi and Chief Coach and Manager Hasan Sardar. Of course no one would challenge them being players of some repute, but being office-bearers, the move simply didn’t seem right at this point.

Luckily for Khokhar, since there were no microphones provided at the mismanaged press conference, he was spared the media’s wrath. Journalists were more eager to hear from the international legends, who spoke loudly so that their voice carried to their audience in the dimly-lit hall.

“We thought hockey in Pakistan was a bit down so we are all going to do whatever we can to help the game here,” said the world-class Dutch penalty corner and corner specialist Floris Jan Bovelander. “Hockey needs Pakistan.”

Holland’s famous umpire Rob Lathouwers, who PHF Secretary Shahbaz Sr had reached out to in making the World-XI team of current players from Belgium, Argentina, the Netherlands, Germany and Australia to Pakistan a reality, said that he had been working on the plan with Shahbaz Sr since December.

“I have been to Pakistan 10 to 12 times now. It is my second home,” he says. “Hopefully, it would only be four to five years before Pakistan comes up in hockey again.”

At the expense of Holland?

“Not at the top,” he joked, “because that has to be Holland. But second!”

Earlier, it had been announced that Pakistan’s star defender Sohail Abbas was to captain the World-XI team. “I made efforts to call him, SMS him, WhatsApp him, email him but got no response, Lathouwers shared. In his absence the captaincy was passed on to Roderick Weusthof of Holland. And the Pakistan team was captained by Junaid Manzoor.

Later, after the brief press conference the international legends came out to the sidelines to watch the boys practice. The media was freely allowed to mingle with them.

The 69-year-old Dutch legend penalty-corner specialist Paul Litjens did not seem too keen to discuss hockey.

“Look at me, does it look like I can even handle a hockey stick?” he laughed. “I concentrate on slower games like golf. Ask me about golf!”

Urged to share his opinion about the demise of Pakistan hockey, Litjens said Pakistani players used to be very skilful. They also possessed good speed. “This was when hockey was played on natural grass. Then the artificial turf was introduced and hockey here started experiencing waves The consistency was gone. Like in football,” he explains.

When reminded that the PHF could not be compared with the Pakistan Football Federation, which has been suspended by FIFA, Litjens smiled knowingly. “Yes, PHF has not been suspended by the FIH, not yet any way.”

Meanwhile, sharing his thoughts about what in his opinion has led to the game’s debacle in Pakistan, Bovelander, who is currently working across the border to improve the structure of hockey from the grassroots level, said that it was introducing much needed changes in that country’s infrastructure that has brought up the world hockey ranking of India to fifth while Pakistan was in 13th place.

“These exhibition matches are no match for proper structure, school hockey, finding talent and then nurturing it,” he argues. “What I really want to know is about PHF’s hockey structure.”

Indeed, the factors Bovelander points to are perennial problems of hockey in Pakistan. But the former star links it to a larger problem.

“Some 15 years ago, Belgium was where you are at now,” says Blunck. “It took a lot of work but they were silver medallists at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Meanwhile, Argentina, who took gold, don’t seem to be working on their infrastructure which won’t let them come up with good young players every year. They will soon fall behind.”

“What has happened in field hockey in Asia since the 1990s is that the European style of hockey played on artificial turf was not adapted,” he explains. “Still, hockey in India is picking up. They have brought in foreign coaches to help too. Don’t get me wrong. It is not that their coaches are bad. But they are willing to do whatever it takes to help their game and join hands with the foreign coaches.”

He then scans the stands in the stadium.

“Just look at this ground,” Bovelander says, as he gestures towards the stands in dilapidated condition. “This alone can be an indicator of how seriously your federation takes hockey.”

German midfielder Christian Blunck, who was also being included in PCB’s Hall of Fame, says that he thought that there should be more international players coming here as they can help teach different styles of hockey.

“That way you can build on new skills while not losing your own,” he says.

Is it beyond the point of no return?

“All may not be lost,” he says. “I see much potential and enthusiasm. So hockey still is alive in your hearts. All you need now is a few better results that can give you hope.”

For Blunck, the fact that 16 teams will now be playing at the World Cup and Pakistan has secured itself a slot among the 16, is encouraging.

“Some 15 years ago, Belgium was where you are at now,” he says. “It took a lot of work but they were silver medallists at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Meanwhile, Argentina, who took gold, don’t seem to be working on their infrastructure which won’t let them come up with good young players every year. They will soon fall behind.”

After the initial mismanagement at the ground, one was hoping to see things improve the day of the first exhibition match. But there were chairs placed on the stands, which anyway remained vacant as there were more security personnel at the venue than spectators. The international stars still had no complaints.

But a Pakistani legend took this scribe by surprise by asking her why she had not interviewed him instead of Litjens and Bovelander. Later, he approached again to ask that his beautician wife should be photographed. “She is right there in the VIP enclosure wearing a cream-coloured dress. You can’t miss her,” he said.

Perhaps the next Hall of Fame will also see the wife being honoured!

The writer is a member of staff.She tweets @HasanShazia

Published in Dawn, EOS, January 28th, 2018