Arslan scored twice in the 2014 Champions Trophy 4-3 semi-final win over arch-rivals India and remembers it as the best moment of his life. PHOTO COURTESY: ARSLAN QADIR
Joining this prestigious list is the brother pairing of Arslan and Faisal Qadir, sons of former national player Abdul Qadir.
Pakistan hockey in a shambles
The duo were introduced to the sport by their father at a very early age and since then they have always featured together, be it the school team, their club, the junior hockey team or the national side.
“We used to play many sports including cricket, tennis and football, but our main interest was hockey and we always got selected in the same team and were the best partners,” recalled Faisal while talking to The Express Tribune.
Talking about how he got inspired to pick up the sticks, he said, “I have witnessed Pakistan reach the sky and it instilled in me the passion to do something for my beloved nation.”
The journey begins
Hailing from Punjab’s remote city of Dera Ghazi Khan, Arslan and Faisal used to play in local grounds. Arslan recalled how he used to play with his father’s hockey stick and how his interest in the game developed with Faisal and his selection in the school’s team in 2008 — the exact moment where their journey to the national side began.
“My interest in the game developed in the eighth grade when Faisal and I were selected in the school’s hockey team for an inter-school tournament,” said Arslan. “After that I was selected for the Pakistan Hockey Federation’s (PHF) U16 as a striker, while Faisal made it to the U14 team as a defender.”
Pakistan defeat India in hockey final
After being selected for the U16 and U14 teams, the duo caught the eye of former national player and Olympic gold-medallist Tauqeer Dar, who took them under his wing to develop their skills at the Dar Hockey Academy in Lahore — a venture of Dar himself.
The duo then featured in the 2009 National League where they earned their call-up for the national junior team.
While it is extremely difficult for newcomers to establish their place in the starting line-up, the duo fitted like a glove. They featured in each and every international tour that Pakistan’s junior side undertook from 2009 to 2013, which included two Asia Cups, the Youth Olympics in 2010, three Sultan of Johor Cups, four foreign tours and the 2013 Junior World Cup — a remarkable feat on its own.
Arslan, a striker, has the honour of topping the scoring charts at the 2010 Youth Olympics of Singapore, where his 10 goals helped Pakistan bag a silver medal — the country’s only medal in any discipline in the Youth Games.
Donning national colours
Having played at every level except for the national side, the next obvious step for the pair was to feature in the senior side. And while the competition to make your place in the first team is fierce, the brothers managed to make their national debuts together.
A whole new low for Pakistan hockey
Pakistan were gearing up for the 2013 Champions Trophy and had scheduled a tour of Australia to give the youngsters some match practice. Arslan and Faisal both made their debuts in Australia and the brothers can never forget the excitement of donning the national colours of Pakistan.
“When we played the first match for Pakistan, it felt great. We were honoured to be part of the Pakistan team and wearing the green shirt was a matter of pride for us,” said Arslan, while Faisal added: “The players who get a chance to play for their national team are the lucky ones. I am glad we are one of them.”
Following the visit to Australia, the team then went on to play the Champions Trophy and what better way was there for them to start their careers than by winning the trophy in their first-ever major tournament.
The duo became regular starters for the Greenshirts and rarely sat on the bench but just ahead of the 2014 Champions Trophy, Faisal fractured his leg during trials and was unable to play the tournament.
However, his brother kept the family name flying high when he became a national hero after scoring twice in the 4-3 semi-final win over arch-rivals India.
“That has been the best moment in the green shirt for me till now,” said Arslan. “It was all down to the hard work by the team and the way we played against a difficult opponent on their home turf. That’s what made it even more memorable.”
Published in The Express Tribune, May 5th, 2016.
Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.
COMMENTS (2)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ