- 07 Aug 2012
After heavy defeat, ex-Olympian fears for future of hockey in Pakistan - 08 Aug 2012
Hockey: Routed
- RSS
- Today's Paper
- Subscribe
- beta 2.1
Alerts
‘Officials, selectors and coaches must all resign’
Former hockey players come down hard after Olympics failure.
“We are standing exactly where we were in Beijing four years ago,” former captain Qamar Zia. (Mohammad Rizwan in picture) PHOTO: REUTERS
Pakistan’s thrashing at the hands of Australia that put the Greenshirts out of the medals race has forced former players and Olympians to demand resignations from the Pakistan Hockey Federation’s (PHF) top brass.
The Olympians have asked the PHF President Qasim Zia and secretary Asif Bajwa, as well as the selection committee and the team management, to take the blame and step down.
“We are standing exactly where we were in Beijing four years ago,” former captain Qamar Zia told The Express Tribune. “The federation’s policies have failed to yield results and now they should resign to give the country’s hockey a new start. This setup is not capable of delivering the goods and that has been proved by the team’s results under them. We will once again feature in a position match like we did four years ago while the pain of a bottom-place finish in the World Cup is still fresh.”
Government should interfere: Ibrahim
Meanwhile, another Olympian Qamar Ibrahim said that the repeated blunders by the PHF think-tank deprived the team of a podium finish.
“They’ve committed countless blunders,” said Ibrahim. “For instance, the decision to keep just one goal-keeper in the squad was suicidal and cost the team dearly. Shahid Ali Khan, the goal-keeping coach, is the same man under whom Pakistan finished bottom in the World Cup. The PHF is making a mockery of the national game by obliging its favourites. This whole set-up should be abolished.
“There is still hope and the the government should take action before it is too late.”
Published in The Express Tribune, August 8th, 2012.
Read more:
Olympics2012
Reader Comments (13)
Sports Latest Stories
National Taekwondo Championship: Army sweep medal table
Wins 21 gold medals in 25 events, sensor scoring technology used for first time in Pakistan.
IPL investigation ‘Sweaty’ Sreesanth’s towel trouble
More than 20 people have also been arrested all over India in connection to the scandal for questioning.
‘Mercedes cannot afford to lose focus’
Hamilton urges team to improve performance ahead of Monaco GP.
China dominate world table tennis event
Defending champion Zhang advances to third round in Paris.
Bayern eye more records in league finale
Champions League finalists aim for 20 Bundesliga laurels on final day.
Djokovic suffers shock exit
Big-serving Berdych beats world number one in thrilling three-setter.
Departmental players likely to suffer from PCB’s plan
Board mulling staging inter-departmental T20 event in Ramazan.
English Premier League: Farewells take centre stage on final day
United take on West Brom, Everton tackle Chelsea on season finale.
Captain Misbah leads from the front
Hits unbeaten 83 as Pakistan down Scotland by 96 runs in opening ODI.
Recent Slideshows
More in Sports
Squash: Atlas eyeing a top-20 return
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, redistributed or derived from.
Unless otherwise stated, all content is copyrighted © 2013 The Express Tribune News Network.
Technical feedback? [email protected]
Its going to fall on deaf years sadly!
Recommend
National team’s performance should not be only criteria to judge administration’s performance. More important thing is that game is dying in the country. Administration’s job should be to promote and spread the sport and provide competetive league for professionals. If we do that then performance in the international arena will improve automatically. Take UK for example, they hardly win world championships in their main sports of football, cricket but it matters little to them as they have developed the infrastructure for recreational, amateur and professional players to enjoy the sport. It is a place to go for foreigners as well if they want experience, learn or earn from the sports. This should be our long term objective as well.
Recommend
i think the problem is the lack of quality players and that could be due to less players playing hockey than they use to. changing management of coaches want do anyhting. get more people playing hockey and things might change
Recommend
Biggest problem of Pakistan Hockey and Cricket Team = Favourites + Purchee
If we get rid of these two, we can have Teams on merit with a fighting power. May Allah show us that day – Aamin.
Regards
Dr. Saleem Siddiqi
Recommend
We have dearth of facilities here and cannot compete with others specially after so much change in infrastructure/rules of the game. There was so much hype after our win over, but one could foresee our team’s fate after conceding 4 goals against South Africa whicj is no match to Europeans.
Recommend
We don’t have the tradition of resigning on any debacle, so forget it.
Recommend
Corrupt person never feel shame therefore demand of resign is just to throw the rose petel on crinimal. They must return all salries and benefits including traveling hotling fooding and all ther seen or unseen benefits also. They also not consider for any kind of services even free. They also sent behind the bar atleast for three years. Saad Shibli Asc
Recommend
There may be a problem with at the top with a group of ex players ruling PHF! Something we have to note here, Pakistani Hockey thrived only because of quality of players in the past whatever was the management. We had some amazing players in the glory days, now we have average players who play for stay in the team, not to win matches. Last notable player we had was Shahbaz and thats it. Hockey and every sport got so competitive and teams with professional training and set up are winning now.
We need quality players and training facilities for them, though we use to win without much facilities in the past, now its next to impossible produce world class players without these.
any management that is sincere will work! If closely look at one good palyer of western teams and hist eating and exercise routine, you will know the difference. We need on and off the field training regimes.
Recommend
Theres no promotion for Hockey. Nowadays you barely find anyone who plays hockey, and whoever does play hockey doesnt get looked over at.. there are a few players of hockey and on top of that theres a improper administration.
I agree with the fact that the administration should be changed. This is not something that shouldn’t be taken seriously, the National Hockey team there most proably embarrased and hurt.. they tried their best but they just need help from above.. ( which isnt coming)
Recommend
Where are our Hasan Sardar’s and Samiullah’s?? The magic they carried with them on the field has not been repeated since. Sad. …
Recommend
It was comparatively a better show…y resign then?
Recommend
A year ago in 2011 Pakistan hockey team had beaten Australia and also won a title after a long time. Somehow a few months later the Dutch coach was sacked and most of the senior players sacked or banned as they played in the Indian Hockey league to earn a living! PHF doesnt give these players enough money to survive yet they were banned! The PHF that controls hockey in Pak tried to send a young team to tournaments before Olympics but since it kept getting thrashed it decided to lift the ban from senior players one month before Olympics. They had already killed their own side as it takes time to make a combination! So these players were only playing togather for one month! You cant expect to win with such erratic and bad management! Talent is squandered! Salman Akbar Pakistan most experienced goal keeper is playing Dutch league yet they considered him unfit for Pakistan! Had they allowed the Dutch coach to work I think on the momentum Pakistan was creating it could have finished in the top 3-4! PHF is Pakistan Hockey’s own biggest enemy!
Recommend
Mass resignation would the correct and honourable thing to do.
Recommend