THE national hockey team’s below par showing in the World Hockey League in Malaysia has once again raised serious doubts about the health of game in the region and the incumbent regime of the Pakistan Hockey Federation. The green shirts finished a poor seventh in the eight-team contest which also served as the qualifiers for the next year’s Hockey World Cup. The fact is that the Pakistanis, who lost both their warm-up games in the lead up to the important tournament, never looked like making the grade, what with their flimsy preparation at home and the defeatist attitude of the team management. The green shirts started their campaign on the wrong foot, scrambling to draws against hosts Malaysia and England before humbling the lowly ranked South Africa, which incidentally was the team finishing last in the tournament. That was followed by a drubbing from South Korea which finally put paid to any hopes that Mohammad Imran’s team harboured of qualifying for the 2014 mega event. The shock defeat against Malaysia in the play-off further relegated Pakistan to a disappointing seventh spot and now leaves them with the uphill task of winning the Asia Cup in Malaysia during August this year to qualify for the World Cup.

Little has gone right for Pakistan hockey in the past five years and the light at the tunnel end is now fading fast. The country is by no means short of talent or expertise but has suffered mainly due to interferences by the previous governments who have allegedly obliged their favourites to make personal fortunes at the game’s expense. With so many legendary ex-Olympians waiting to play their part in uplifting hockey, urgent measures must be taken by the current regime to save the game from further disaster.