Since the hockey world cup begins in Odisha, hockey fans across the subcontinent are concerned about Pakistani hockey’s future. The team failed to earn a spot in the 2023 World Cup.
The Pakistan hockey team had titles like “World champion,” “World beater,” “hockey giant,” and “champion-of-champions.” It was once one of the world’s leading hockey nations, dominating the last quarter of the 20th century and winning all major tournaments, but Since winning the World Cup in Sydney in 1994, the team has lost its lustre and has failed to qualify for 2023 World Cup.
Pakistan Hockey has missed the multisport competition Olympics games twice in a row, most recently in Tokyo (2021). Additionally, it also failed to qualify the 2014 World Cup and placed a dismal 12th in the 2018 competition.
In Pakistan, the end of this sport is near, and hockey’s collapse seems to be practically complete. With the exception of a few victories on the Asian stage, the Pakistani hockey team hasn’t been able to win any international hockey titles in the twenty-first century.
Poor management, a lack of professionalism, and government apathy are killing hockey in Pakistan. Even the Dutch coach of the Pakistan national hockey team, Siegfried Aikman, has returned home after not being paid his salary for months.
The green-shirt failed to cope with the new pace of the game, and inconsistent policies of the concerned agencies to revive the game have damaged Pakistan hockey badly. Poor sports administration, a collapsing economy, religious fanaticism, and terrorism have all ruined sports in Pakistan, including hockey. Ironically, the Pakistani sports fraternity, despite knowing the root causes of the decline of the game, is passively watching it die.
Between 1978 and 1994, Pakistan dominated the world of hockey and won every major championship. Despite these achievements, however, Pakistan did little to create a system that would allow them to develop and sustain talent over the long term. They had lost their way and had no infrastructure in place. They did not work to develop new talents and heavily depended on those they were born with.
In order to revitalise Hockey in Pakistan, there needs to be a framework that can draw new sponsors and offer financial stability to the players. The Pakistan Hockey Federation needs a vision, just like the hockey federations in Belgium and India did. The Pakistani athletic community must persistently work on it. As the hockey teams from Belgium and India are demonstrating, it takes more than ten years to accomplish the desired outcome.
The game has changed over the years and became more fitness demanding, but according to commentators, Pakistan was left far behind in the race. Hockey would not be Pakistan’s national sport if events kept going in the current way since there would be no prospect for the Pakistani hockey team to win important competitions in the future.
On the other hand Indian hockey has improved since the 2008 disaster when it failed to qualify for the Beijing Olympics because lessons were learned from that experience. The Indian Hockey Association tried to not only revitalise the sport but also to gather money to support both the game and its participants financially. The Indian Hockey Federation, which was once insolvent, is today one of the most powerful countries in the hockey world and offers its players the best facilities.
Only through the perseverance of hockey players, supporters, and the system has Indian hockey been brought back to life. The results also reveal the narrative.
The Pakistan Hockey Federation must locate sponsors eager to support their game. Hockey players will benefit from new sponsors’ financial incentives, which will increase their financial, economic, and psychological security. Furthermore, the PHL can develop local and club level players, allowing Pakistan to attract more talent, much as the Pakistan Super League has introduced some stars to cricket.
Can Pakistan Hockey learn from its past mistakes and try to advance hockey!
Sunil Thapliyal has been active journalist in sports over a decade, views are personal
