Hoping for hockey

It’s been years now since hockey fell off the radar in Pakistan. The country’s national sport, which was once regarded as a chief source of national pride, has over the years lost its sheen and now fails to capture the attention of the masses like it used to do back till the 1990s. Over the years, from a team that rode roughshod over its rivals and captured major international titles almost at will, Pakistan has been reduced to the status of a second-tier side that even failed to qualify for World Cup 2014 in Holland and next year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. But the good news is that, after years of turmoil and infighting, the Pakistan Hockey Federation has found leadership that seems serious to put our team back at the very top of the international hockey rankings. The new PHF top brass, which includes a former Pakistan hockey legend and an ex-army team captain, has already initiated a campaign to put hockey on the right track. Though it’s too early to make any predictions one can safely say that early signs are looking good.

After a series of big setbacks, Pakistan qualified for the Junior World Cup in Malaysia last month. More recently, a new turf has been installed at the iconic Hockey Club of Pakistan Stadium in Karachi. The facility, once regarded as the best in the hockey-playing world, was a picture of neglect for years but will now be hosting the National Championship starting next week. These are all positive developments and it is hoped that the PHF bosses will build up on them and continue reaching more goals as Pakistan hockey needs to achieve a series of targets – including expanding player base, establishing academies, enhancing the volume and standard of domestic competitions and improving the performance of national teams at the international level. The popularity of hockey, which once rivaled cricket as a national pastime, has really gone down in Pakistan. But all hope is not lost and with a concerted effort hockey can bounce back. It might take a few years but it is something that has to be done.