The national hockey has been declining for the past thirty years and the main reason of which is the administration without modern techniques or lack of funds while the decisions based on the likes and dislikes besides recommendations have also caused a lot of damage to the national game.
In hockey Pakistan have dominated the world but now it has declined to such an extent that its name is not included in the top ten. The Pakistan hockey team could not qualify in Olympics games for the third time in a row while the national hockey team is not included in the Olympics that have to be started in Paris due to which Pakistan has to send a very small squad. It should be remembered that Pakistan was supposed to win the Olympic gold medal for the last time 40 years ago for which former prominent athletes are expressing great regret.
The legendary Tauqeer Dar a member of the team that won the last Olympic trophy for Pakistan has said in a statement that it is very difficult for me to bear that the hockey team is not in the Olympics for the third time in a row.
Talking to the media the former Olympian Call it my good fortune or bad luck, I belong to an Olympic champion family, Tauqeer Dar said our family has 3 Olympic gold medals so this situation is very disappointing for me. There was patronage of institutions and heads of institutions used to run hockey because of this there was a golden age when the patronage of institutions ended our hockey was destroyed and now this is the situation.
He said that the children who are playing hockey today It is a great favor to that sports besides old memories are alive because in this inflation who can allow his child to by buy a hockey worth 25 thousand rupees and a hockey kit worth .3 million rupees. Therefore, it is important that institutions sponsor the players and give them jobs. If all this is not done we will not be able to get out of the well. We have become first correct ourselves administratively said Tauqeer Dar, Shouldn’t be a right man for the right job. If this system remains it is very difficult for us to come back and we will not even be in the 2028 Olympics.
It is quite right for the former legends to be disappointed that we are not amongst the best teams because of the poor performance of national hockey. In the world hockey ranking, the national team is at the 14th place which is a very disappointing situation. It should be remembered that in the current FIH ranking Pakistan hockey team has moved from 16th to 14th position.
After defeating Canada the ranking of the Pakistan hockey team has improved. It should be remembered that the national team defeated Canada 8-1 a month ago, after which the national hockey team is at the 16th to 14th position. Earlier Pakistan’s global ranking went to 17th position. Before Azlan Shah Cup Pakistan came from 17th to 15th position. However after Azlan Shah’s final loss Pakistan went from 15th to 16th position. After a draw and then a big win against Canada Pakistan has moved from 16th to 14th position which is a good improvement but not worthy of Pakistan’s record.
Readers know that the national sport of Pakistan is hockey in which Pakistan was dominating the world but now it has been declining for years. Our national hockey team won four World Cups, three Olympic Gold Medals and three Champions Trophies. Pakistan last won the World Hockey Cup in 1994 under the leadership of Shahbaz Sr. then the performance graph of team Pakistan went down day by day.
There are many reasons for the decline of hockey, the main reason being that Pakistan is trying to run hockey in the same scruffy ways that were prevalent in the 60s and 70s. For development in hockey it is needed to adapt to modern requirements which was not considered previously, although our coaches and referees then even players could not be trained on modern lines. Now that we have a lot of talented players in view of the quality performance of the Azlan Shah Cup it would be appropriate for us to revive the glorious traditions by hiring former Olympians of hockey and to promote it urgently. If Concrete measures should not taken we will not be able to play the upcoming Olympics.
