After heavy defeat, ex-Olympian fears for future of hockey in Pakistan
Pakistan needed to win Tuesday's match to get to the semi-finals, and a real shot at a medal. But the team from down under was in an unforgiving mood.
It is noteworthy that the national team had also finished at the bottom of their group in the 2010 World Cup, compounding Siddique’s stated concerns.
"If you are losing, losing, losing, people don't want to come and play hockey," he told the BBC.
"It was really disappointing because Australia beat Pakistan by a tennis score. We used to win by five, six seven goals and now we are losing by the same score. Everyone wants to see the Pakistan flag high and for Pakistan to win the title. Everyone understands hockey it is our national game and with this result, I think everyone is annoyed."
The national men’s hockey team has had a rich history at the Olympics, having won eight medals including gold at the 1960, 1968 and 1984 games. But Siddique, who won 130 caps for Pakistan scoring 117 goals, feels the team is falling further behind rival countries.
Having led the national side to a World Cup, Siddique said, "not reaching the last four is very disappointing for Pakistan hockey. Other teams are playing very high skill hockey and Pakistan must improve. We need some surgery and we need some good infrastructure in hockey."
Talking to the BBC, the hockey team manager Akhtar Chaudhry criticised the team for their defeat, saying, “the midfield was totally abolished and the forwards totally failed to win a single penalty corner."
"Because of this bad play Pakistan lost 7-0."
The former world cup winner said that the drubbing constituted as one of the "worst game and I have never seen Pakistan play like this before in my 47-year career."
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Game can only gain popularity if the national team wins tournaments and kids have positive role models in the players. Nobody wants to play a game in which we consistently lose.
Mr S: are you serious? What did shakeel abbasi do in the entire tournament. Till now he has not performed up to the mark. HE should be kicked out.
I don't know why we are so eager to kick the management out ASA the team loses. Bad performance can also be because of too much change in management. Pakistan's dismal performance is because of their careless hockey. Some things that are lacking in the team:
1) Ability to play as a team, in formation and to avoid any single player trying to be Shahbaz Senior 2) Converting penalty corners. If Sohail is failing why cant we try some variation or some other player. 3) Keeping possession. Instead of random passes that either switch possession or send the ball outside the line, why not keep the ball in hand and wait for the opponents to scatter? 4) Bad reverse stick usage.
Future Bright For Those Intending To Play Hockey In Pakistan. This is a start of Pakistan youngster to get started playing field hockey. Pakistan sports board must promote both Soccer and Hockey in Pakistan. Children and Youth Now Victim Of Poverty. The declining economic standard pushing Pakistan youth into being poor in sports, outdoor activities, and school grounds shrinking especially in Sind and Balochistan. The Governments of Pakistan has casual plus ignorant attitude to promote sports and to provide proper playground. Unless and Until Proper Budget Allocated For Proper Sport Fields For Sindhi and Baluchi Youth The Development Of Good Minds Will Not Follow. The Sindhi and Balochi Youth Will Resort To Crime, Gangsterism, Exploitation By Major Political Parties Will Continue. The Responsibilities Lies With Provincial Governments To Build Proper Facilities, Sport Grounds, and Stadiums For ALL And Not Only For KMC Elities. Tax Money Spent Is For ALL citizen Of Provinces And NOT JUST For ELITE.
Apart from Shakeel Abbassi all the oldies should be send home for good.
PHF is completely responsible. They selected 1 goalkeeper who was under tremendous pressure and couldnt cope with it. The defence should have been very solid because this was Australia and they were in a no mercy kinda mood. A solid defence in the first half could have pressurised the Aussies but only goalkeeper was left for the saving.
Get rid of Shakeel Abbasi, Rehan Butt, Sohail Abbas and Khawaja Junaid. Put some investment in the federation and hire a foreign coach who must first teach the players how to play hockey and we desperately need new faces.
Qasim Zia & Asif Bajwa are the top bosses of PHF, they have not done any good for hockey in Pakistan, the team performance was POOR in Beijing Olympics and now same result in London. Another important issue is the selection of goal keeper whose performance was hopeless, Shahid Ali Khan the goal keeper coach should be held accountable for this. Now it is the right time to show the door to the present PHF management and appoint new one.