This is the first time in the history of the tournament that the number of participants has been increased from six to eight. Next year, Pakistan and South Korea will join world champions Australia, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and hosts India in the annual tournament in New Delhi.
“Our inclusion in the Champions Trophy is quite emotional since the PHF was the one who started this tournament,” Bajwa told The Express Tribune. “I don’t think Pakistan is a wild-card entry anymore since we were included in the tournament due to our performance in the Asian Games.
“It’s something that the PHF has been negotiating with the FIH for some time. Even last year, we tried to grab a spot in the event but this year it’s different. The idea is to increase the level of competition and so Pakistan’s inclusion was an obvious choice for the FIH.”
Previously, the six teams that qualified for the championship included the hosts, the defending champions, the world champions and the next highest ranked teams from either the most recent World Cup or the Olympics. However, Pakistan’s inclusion this year is due to the gold they won in the 2010 Asian Games that also confirmed a spot for them in the 2012 London Olympics. Meanwhile, South Korea secured a place owing to their sixth place in the FIH rankings.
According to Bajwa, winning the Champions Trophy would be a crucial boost for the team before the 2012 Olympics. Pakistan has won the tournament three times since 1978.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 19th, 2010.
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