IN a country where honour killing is still practised the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has compromised on national honour as it has failed to take any action on team’s poor performance in the recently concluded Commonwealth Games and Champions Trophy.
Hockey is our national game and despite a continuous decline in team’s performance no efforts have been made whatsoever to improve the standard and quality of play. Instead, the PHF is busy celebrating the bronze medal triumph in the Champions Trophy in Cologne, Germany.
Team officials seem to be least bothered about the humiliating defeat against New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games and then against India in the Champions Trophy.
The loss against arch-rivals India in the Champions Trophy was forgotten as in the bronze medal match Pakistan scored a fluke win to avenge the defeat in the round robin league.
The whole nation was simply shocked after India beat Pakistan in the league match in a humiliating manner. Instead of taking stringent measures, the PHF and team officials have the cheek to say that they do not feel the need for any change in the team on the lame excuse that there is very little time as the Asian Games start on Sept 29 in Busan, South Korea.
The whole question is why the PHF did not plan well in advance. The federation was simply trying to win laurels at international level by winning some minor events.
Instead of infusing fresh blood they banked on veterans and recalled goalkeeper Ahmad Alam and centre-forward, Kamran Ashraf, losing a golden opportunity of providing ample opportunities to youngsters who would have gained experience and confidence which would have come in handy at the Asian Games.
An almost three-month tour was simply wasted and all the money spent on old horses went down the drain. May be the cool weather of England and Germany has done some good to the old, ailing team officials. It has served no-one’s purpose except possibly those who were on joyrides.
The most shocking news in this whole scenario was that director general of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), Brig Saulat Abbas, also went to Cologne to watch the Champions Trophy.
On the eve of his departure he had the temerity to say that he was going to Cologne to see what was the reason behind team’s poor performance.
Thank God, someone dared to contradict him, probably, on the instructions of some higher authority clarifying that Brig Saulat had nothing to do with the hockey team. The PSB spokesman said that he had gone to see how the Champions Trophy is arranged as Pakistan was likely to stage the next edition.
It made a mockery of Brig Saulat’s statement as it will not be for the first time that Pakistan will be hosting the Champions Trophy. He should know that Pakistan is the pioneer behind Champions Trophy and has had the honour of hosting it no less than ten times.
Pakistan has also staged the World Cup so what the director general PSB wanted to say holds no water.
His job is to hold training camps and spot talent in every sport in the country. It is not his task to go and learn the art of organising an international hockey event.
There are a lot of qualified people in the country. His only purpose of going to Cologne was to have a foreign trip in cool and pleasant German weather and earn travelling and daily allowances in foreign exchange.
He fully stands exposed but I am sure nobody will take any action against him. It is to be seen how the federal sports minister reacts as it was nothing short of befooling the entire nation.
Another thing which is not well taken by the masses is repeated statements by hockey and cricket officials who are trying to restore sporting activities with India. India, on the other hand, has been totally ignoring the request of Pakistani hockey and cricket officials.
The secretary of the PHF, Brig Musarrat Ullah Khan, on team’s return from Cologne said that if hockey ties between Pakistan and India are resumed both the countries will benefit and the hockey supremacy of the sub-continent will be regained.
Can the PHF secretary, team manager or coach explain what style of hockey is Pakistan playing. Can the team officials explain in which style of hockey two specialist centre-forwards are fielded at the same time.
One can only say that Pakistan hockey has adopted an ‘absurd’ style. It has totally forgotten the Asian style and has not been able to adopt the European method. The team is just groping in the dark.
The hockey set up has been ruined by people who have no knowledge of the game. Since they are holding the vital posts by virtue of their office it does qualify them to be experts.
The officials only know how to issue press statements. If they had any respect or honour they should have resigned from their posts, the day Pakistan was thrashed by New Zealand, who scored their first-ever win over Pakistan in country’s 55-year history.
Whether anybody likes it or not, the nation will not forgive them as it will not allow anybody to compromise with national pride.