PHF turns down Azlan Shah Cup invitation

ISLAMABAD: Two and a half years after taking over the Pakistan Hockey Federation’s reins, the fear of losing continues to haunt PHF’s officials as they have wasted a golden opportunity to prepare the national team for the Commonwealth Games by refusing to compete in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup starting on March 2 in Malaysia.

The PHF has officially refused to compete in the annual event reducing it to a six-team tournament with world No 1 Australia leading the field. World No 2 Argentina, India (6), England (7), Ireland (10) and hosts Malaysia (12) will also vie for the top honours.

The Asian Hockey Federation has termed Pakistan’s refusal as a sad day for hockey, saying that the long standing invitation to the PHF to compete in the event has been rescinded.AHF’s Chief Executive Officer Tayyab Ikram confirmed Pakistan’s withdrawal from the Malaysian tournament but gave no reasons for it.

Pakistan were invited to play in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup considering the country’s services for the game and the PHF’s hue and cry for not making the Greenshirts part of the tournament last year.

All the participating teams, barring Argentina, are using the Azlan Shah Cup as a platform to prepare their teams for the 2018 Commonwealth Games to be held in Gold Coast from April 4-15. The PHF did the same thing two years back when Pakistan were invited to the penultimate Champions Trophy in London considering former great Air Marshal Nur Khan’s services for the event.

The PHF refused to compete in the Champions Trophy and later in the Junior Asia Cup fearing that the Greenshirts would lose every match. That fear continues to haunt the PHF even today.

The PHF has done no good to the team’s chances in the Commonwealth Games by refusing to play in Malaysia as the tournament could have served as a self-assessment event.

Pakistan have reached the semi-finals whenever they have taken part in the Commonwealth Games. In Melbourne in 2006 Pakistan reached the final and played a tough title decider against hosts Australia.

“It is no less than a crime to avoid playing in an event as big as the Azlan Shah Cup. Pakistan hockey is already struggling at the international level. It was a good opportunity to prepare the team for the Commonwealth Games,” Olympian Khalid Bashir, who is also the PHF’s associate secretary, when contacted said. “The PHF would be responsible if the team performs under par in Gold Coast,” the PHF associate secretary said.