‘Junior team’s show raises questions’

Olympian Islahuddin disappointed with Pakistan’s failure in Malaysia.

KARACHI: Former hockey captain Islahuddin Siddiqui has expressed deep concern over the junior hockey team’s dismal performance at the Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia where Pakistan have lost four successive matches and are due to play their last match today.

Pakistan went down to lower-ranked Malaysia and New Zealand while also suffering defeats to arch-rivals India and South Korea and are set to face Australia in the final game.

Siddiqui said their poor show was alarming and questioned the work of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF).

“The team’s performance is alarming,” Siddiqui told The Express Tribune. “The junior players are our future and this performance has raised a number of questions.

“There was a time when juniors could make it to the senior squad but now the situation is disappointing,” added the former captain.

Siddiqi also said the PHF needed to work harder.

“It’s shocking to see the PHF fail in finding just 15 good players from well over a dozen academies. There’s no dearth of talent in  Pakistan but it needs to be scouted.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11^th,  2011.