National sport is in tatters

South African hockey player Ian Haley (front) celebrates scoring against Pakistan during their World Cup 2010 match at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in New Delhi March 6, 2010. Pakistan’s hockey team disappointed fans in the world championship.


PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- Pakistani hockey is in tatters.

Chief Selector Hasan Sardar says the country selected “the best team” that it could. But that squad has never fallen as low in world rankings as it has following the 12th Men’s Hockey World Cup in India.

After finishing eighth in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the team expected to improve in New Delhi, where the world’s 12 best teams gathered for the coveted title. Instead, its standing plunged further. Its match with Canada will determine whether Pakistan ranks 11th or 12th in the world.

The team, a blend of youth and experience, has won just one match — against Spain — while losing to India 4-1, England 5-2, South Africa 4-3 and Australia 2-1.

After the loss to South Africa, which observers had considered one of the World Cup's weaker entrants, coach Shahid Ali Khan said he had never seen the team play so poorly.

Pakistan's prowess at its own national sport has been on the decline since it won its last World Cup in 1994. Militancy has played a part, keeping foreign teams away and depriving the team of opportunity to give new players international exposure.

In New Delhi, Pakistan scored nine goals but surrendered 16. The team depended heavily on recalled penalty-corner specialist Sohail Abbas. But he scored just two goals and failed to defend well against attacking European teams.

Former assistant team manager Waqar Maroof called the team’s performance a “disaster”. Former Olympian Rahim Khan said either management “did not plan well” or the team failed to follow the plan properly. Sardar blamed the senior players for a disappointing show. Former team coach Naveed Alam and ex-captain Islahuddin Siddiqui called for management officials to resign.

Several former players agreed with critics that recalling Abbas was a bad idea, saying the team leaned too much on him and that his offence did not make up for his defensive liabilities.

Rahim Khan also said a coaching change is needed. Shahid Ali Khan, an ex-Olympian, was nominally the coach, but it looked as if Asif Bajwa, who is secretary of the Pakistan Hockey Federation and also team manager, did more coaching.

“Bajwa, who is an International Hockey Federation-trained coach, would have been a good choice for this important position during such a big tournament”, Rahim Khan opined.

Pakistan now has eight months to prepare for the Asian Games this November in China, followed by the 2012 London Olympics in just over two years. Pakistan will have to work harder if it hopes to wash away the stain of its World Cup performance in either event.