THE year that has just gone by was bittersweet as far as Pakistan hockey team is concerned. Sweet in the sense as greenshirts seized back-to-back silver medals in a span of 80-days and bitter for not able to participate in World Cup and failing to earn a direct ticket for 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

At the outset, the year started with a blow when Pakistan skipped the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup held at Ipoh in March and the Commonwealth Games that took place at Glasgow in July-Aug for one reason or the other.

For a nation that once ruled the world in field hockey, the failure to compete in the World Cup for the first time ever at The Hague in between the above two events was disappointing. The four-time world champion Pakistan failed to earn a direct passage for The Hague by finishing third in the Asia Cup at Ipoh in 2013.

South Korea overcame India 4-3 in the final to win Asia Cup and qualify for The Hague.

Australia, meanwhile, had a befitting start as they maintained their ascendancy in Azlan Shah Cup, Commonwealth Games and the World Cup to complete hat-trick.

After a lull for most part of the year, the first test for the greenshirts under new team management came at the Incheon Asian Games in Sept-Oct where the defending champions had to be content with silver.

Drawn in same pool (B), Pakistan defeated India by odd goal in three (2-1) in the league but squandered the title as the latter avenged defeat beating the former 4-2 on penalty shootout after 1-1 in regulation time of the final.

The defeat deprived Pakistan a direct ticket for the 2016 Olympics and the team will have to go through the agony of playing qualifiers at Antwerp, Belgium, from June 20 to July 5 this year.

The year culminated with the 35th Champions Trophy in the Indian city of Bhubaneswar where Pakistan, the 11th ranked team in the world, surprised the pundits of the game with a second place finish losing 0-2 to Germany in the final. Both the finalists were benefitted by the new format.

Earlier, a rejuvenated Pakistan disposed of Holland 4-2 in the knockout quarter-final and then sent host India packing 4-3 in the semi-final before a hostile crowd. The triumph annoyed the Indian team and the packed-to-capacity crowd as the greenshirts celebrated.

On the home front, Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) settled the dust of criticism by bringing disgruntled former Olympians into its fold on April 16. While Shahnaz Shaikh took over the reins of national team as manager-cum-chief coach, Islahuddin Siddiqui was given the task of chief selector.

Earlier, the PHF constituted a three-member committee comprising Khawaja Zakauddin, retired Col Zafar Ali Zafri and Iftikhar Syed to mediate with the group of angry Olympians.

Samiullah, Manzoor Hussain junior and Qamar Zia were among others who refused to bow down and remained stick on their path.

A couple of veteran players who reached The Hague to feature in FIH Master’s Cup alongside the World Cup, suffered humiliation when they were stopped to compete for not fulfilling the events requirement in time.

Karachi, meanwhile, had the honour of staging the 28th national women’s hockey championship in March and 33rd national juniors hockey championship in the month of May. Formidable Wapda inflicted 2-0 defeat on Railways to retain women’s title while the juniors event ended in a blaze of glory for National Bank of Pakistan who stunned holders Wapda 2-1 in the final.

The PHF time and again voiced their concern over financial constraints and difficulties to keep the ball rolling. They insisted for an annual grant of Rs500 million but to no avail yet. Punjab chief minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif doled out Rs100 million to PHF earlier in the year.

Some entrepreneuers pooled the finances that helped the team feature in the Champions Trophy across the border.

Eminent hockey commentator S. M. Naqi and reputed former Olympian Anwar Ahmed Khan left for eternal abode. The hockey fraternity also mourned the death of former Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) president Sultan Azlan Shah in Malaysia.

Good signs have started emerging and it is high time the government should wake up and timely release ample funds in order to prepare a winning combination for Olympic qualifiers.The delay will lessen the chances of making it to the next Olympics. Islamabad should also honour hockey players to keep their morale high as the followers keep their fingers crossed.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2015