Welcome hockey win

The glory days of the past are fast approaching, said the Pakistan hockey captain after the see-saw ride in the final of the Asian Champions Trophy. The 5-4 win was the Greenshirts’ third in five matches against India in just over a month.

The win was a reversal of last year’s result and came just weeks after Pakistan won bronze in the Champions Trophy by beating the same opponents. It is hard to assess the team’s performance given that the matches were not telecast — perhaps a testament to the fallen interest in the sport — but it is evident from the scoresheets that the strikers are finally making their presence felt. Pakistan scored 27 goals but conceded 16 in the six matches they played in Doha — including three against the 36^th-ranked Oman, the most the team scored against anyone in the tournament, and falling behind 2-1 against Japan. Holes in the defence needed to be plugged after the Greenshirts conceded more than they scored in the bronze-winning effort in Melbourne just weeks ago. However, the medals helped the team management overlook the flaws and be vocal about the triumphs.

Pakistan can be called a dominant force in Asia once again — they are the Asian Games gold-medallists, the only Asian side to win a medal in the Champions Trophy and now champions in the Asian event. The World Cup and the Olympics turned out to be total disasters. Mohammad Imran, the captain, wants the resurgence to transform into global dominance but for that, the federation needs to invest at the grassroots level and form a backup pool for the future instead of reverting to seniors for mega events. The matches must also be shown on television as it will help grow interest in the youngsters who are left with celebrating the win following scores online. The officials must act on the astro-turf, not in front of the cameras.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 29^th, 2012.